Pentagon Space Mission Aims to Test Laser Power Beaming in Space
This week, we look at the NRL's efforts to use laser power beaming with its Space Wireless Energy Laser Link (SWELL).
Micah Hanks
Micah Hanks is creator, co-founder, and Editor-in-Chief of The Debrief. He covers science, defense, and technology in his writing and podcasts, and you can find him at micahhanks.com and on X @MicahHanks.
The Hunt for an Invisible Killer: Colorado’s Mystery Cattle Deaths
This week we present the results of an investigation into mysterious cattle deaths in Colorado based on official documents and interviews.
Source of the Sun’s Curious “Heartbeat” is Revealed in Unexpected Discovery
A new study reveals the source of a curious feature of the Sun’s atmosphere that produces a signal pattern that researchers have likened to a human heartbeat.
From the Far Side of the Moon, NASA and the DOE Plan to Search for Signals from the Dark Ages of the Universe
The “Dark Ages of the Universe” will be the focus of a new experiment conducted jointly by NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), involving the placement of a new science observatory on the far side of the Moon.
On the Trail of a Unseen Killer: Questions Linger Over Unexplained Cattle Deaths in Colorado
Documents and interviews with Colorado officials reveal new clues behind the investigation into a wave of unexplained cattle deaths last year.
Joint American-Italian MAIA Mission Will Be First to Use Satellites to Focus on Public Health and Pollution
MAIA, a cooperation between NASA and ASI, marks a mission first by the space agencies with a satellite mission focused on public health.
Scientists Call for a Space Junk Treaty to Prevent Future Tragedy from Occurring in Orbit
Scientists are calling for a treaty to protect Earth from space junk resulting from future industries operating in Earth's orbit.
2023 Annual Threat Assessment: Here’s What U.S. Intelligence Says You Need to Know
This week's newsletter examines an annual report from the ODNI detailing Intelligence Commnunity's threat forecast for the coming year.
Rise of the Organoids: “Brains in a Dish” Could Power a New Wave of Non-Human Intelligence Through Biocomputing
Artificially grown masses of cells or tissue known as “organoids” could represent the next wave of innovation in modern computing, new research says.
Physics of the Phenomenon: A New Scientific Perspective on Aerial Mysteries
Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb joins us to discuss a recent paper he and AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick authored on the physics of UAP.
Avi Loeb and the DoD’s Chief UAP Investigator Sean Kirkpatrick Say Solving Aerial Mysteries Requires Known Physics
In a new paper, Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb and AARO director Sean Kirkpatrick say that evaluations of UAP must rely on known physics.
Hubble Telescope Captured the Moment NASA’s DART Spacecraft Smashed Into an Asteroid
NASA says the Hubble Telescope captured images of the space agency’s DART spacecraft as it collided with asteroid Dimorphos last September.
Asteroid Discovery Could Shed Light on the Mysterious Origins of Life on Earth
This week we look at how asteroid samples delivered to Earth by a Japanese spacecraft could shed light on the mysterious origins of life on Earth.
Classified Report on COVID-19 Origins Raises New Questions Over Possible Lab Leak Theory
A recent classified report by the U.S. Department of Energy has revived questions about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Secrecy: Classification of the UAP Mystery
Joining us to discuss this is reporter Tim McMillan, who weighs in on the subject of excessive secrecy with relation to the ongoing UAP debate in this installment of The Micah Hanks Program.
First Law of Thermodynamics Breakthrough Could Upend a Century of Equilibrium Theory in Physics
Physicists in West Virginia have announced a potential breakthrough that could help upend a longstanding constraint imposed by the first law of thermodynamics.
Excessive Secrecy Could Undermine U.S. Efforts to Evaluate Unidentified Flying Objects, Experts Warn
Incidents involving several objects downed over North America have renewed debate over excessive secrecy and unidentified flying objects.
China Isn’t Giving Lethal Aid to Russia… Yet. Here’s What U.S. Officials Know.
This week's Intelligence Brief newsletter examines the Pentagon's recent statements on whether China plans to provide lethal aid to Russia.
Leaked U-2 Spy Plane Selfie: Five Surprising Facts You Missed About This Iconic Image
Here are five things you probably missed about this impressive U-2 spy plane selfie with a Chinese surveillance airship.
Unidentified Object That Washed Ashore on a Japanese Beach May Now Have an Explanation
An unidentified object that recently washed ashore in Japan and prompted investigations by bomb disposal squads may have been identified.
Unidentified Aerial Objects: A Presidential Dilemma
This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we analyze President Biden's recent statements on unidentified aerial objects shot down over North America.
Curious ‘Oblong’ Object Detected on Radar Was Closely Tracked by NASA, Officials Say
NASA officials say an odd, oblong-shaped object detected on radar was tracked by the space agency’s Deep Space Network earlier this month.
Begun, the Balloon War Has…
This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...
This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...
MJ Banias and guest co-host Micah Hanks discuss the U.S.'s recent war against balloons, a memory-enhancing new medicine, and more.
Biden Addresses Unidentified Objects Amidst Calls For Greater Transparency from Lawmakers, Scientists
On Thursday, President Biden spoke for the first time regarding a series of recent incidents involving the downing of unidentified objects detected in U.S. and Canadian airspace.
U.S. Senators Leave Classified Briefing on Unidentified Objects With More Questions Than Answers
This week's Intelligence Brief looks at a recent classified briefing on the three objects recently shot down over North America, and what U.S. Senators had to say about it.
Shoot-Down: Unidentified Objects in North American Airspace
Micah Hanks looks at the recent shoot-down of several objects over North America, along with a discussion with journalist Leslie Kean.
A Humanlike “Living Fossil” Could Still Be Alive in Indonesia, This Anthropologist Says
A ancient human, homo floresiensis, may survive in Indonesia, says a retired professor of anthropology at the University of Alberta.
White House Says Mysterious Objects Shot Down Over the U.S. and Canada Remain Unidentified
Several objects shot down over the United States and Canada within the last week remain unidentified, according to U.S. officials.
New Details on Unidentified Objects Shot Down Over the U.S. and Canada: Here’s Everything We Know
Incidents involving the shootdown of unidentified objects over North America are believed to have involved balloons carrying small payloads, officials say.
U.F.O. Shot Down by U.S. Military Over Alaska Raises New Questions Over Possible Foreign Surveillance
A U.F.O. shot down over Alaska on orders from President Biden raises concerns over possible surveillance efforts by adversaries like China.
Unidentified Aerial Espionage: The Strange Saga of the Chinese Spy Balloon Shoot-Down
This week's Intelligence Brief newsletter examines the recent Chinese spy balloon controversy, and the current intelligence U.S. officials have gathered on it.
Incursion: Spy Balloons, UAP, and the New Cold War
This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we dive into the Chinese spy balloon controversy and examine one of the most unusual diplomatic crises in recent memory.
“Impossible” Physics Breakthrough Achieved By Researchers Studying Mysterious “Ghost Particles”
Researchers say they have uncovered a new method of studying protons involving beams of mysterious “ghost particles."
China Calls U.S. Shoot-Down of Spy Balloon “Indiscriminate Use of Force.” International Law Says Otherwise.
China’s outrage in response to the U.S. shoot-down of a suspected spy balloon falls limp in light of the facts.
ChatGPT: Does This Clever Chatbot Mark the Dawn of a New Era in AI?
This week, we look at OpenAI’s impressive chatbot ChatGPT, and what it told The Debrief in a series of candid responses to our questions.
Unexpected Discovery Seemingly Defies Long-Held Experimental Law of Physics, Research Team Claims
A discovery involving variance in friction at different speeds between two different kinds of surfaces seemingly defies an experimental law of physics, according to newly published research.
“Revolutionary” Detonation Propulsion System May Propel Future Crewed Missions Into Deep Space
NASA has announced the initial development and testing of its first full-scale rotating detonation propulsion rocket engine (RDRE) are complete.
New Evidence of Elusive ‘Time Crystal’ Detected by Physicists, and You Won’t Believe Where They Found It
A team of Yale physicists says they have detected evidence of a time crystal in a very unlikely place, according to new research.
Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Spacecraft May Carry Humans to Mars, as U.S. Announces First Testing in 50 Years
A nuclear thermal rocket is under development by the U.S., which could produce a spacecraft capable of manned missions to Mars.
U.S. Air Force Awards Contract For Development of Secretive New Air-Launched Advanced Seeker
A new advanced seeker designed for maritime strike missions is currently in development, according to the United States Air Force and its division responsible for development of aerospace warfighting technologies.
Mystery Killer of Crustaceans on UK Coast Linked to Unknown Pathogen, Government Report Says
A rash of “apocalyptic” crustacean deaths in recent months along England’s northeastern coast could involve an unknown pathogen, according to a new report
Nuclear Force in Question as Physicists Report Observation That Could Challenge Our Current Understanding
A team of physicists says they have observed the most significant isospin mixing recorded to date during beta-decay experiments, a finding that could upset our current accepted understanding of the nuclear force.
“Gravity Batteries” in Underground Mines Around the World Could Enable Long-Term Energy Storage
Scientists are looking at a novel new way of utilizing "gravity batteries" built from decommissioned mines for energy storage.
NASA’s Geotail Mission, Which Unraveled Auroras and Mysteries of Earth’s Magnetosphere, Finally Ends
NASA Says Farewell to its Geotail Spacecraft After Three Decades of Service
NASA Says Farewell to its Geotail Spacecraft After Three Decades of Service
NASA has announced that its Geotail spacecraft, a joint project with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has ended operations after three decades in orbit.
The 2022 Annual Report on UAP: Four Significant Takeaways You Probably Missed
This week, our double-sized analysis will be focusing on four key takeaways you might have missed from the 2022 Annual Report on UAP.
Transonic Experimental Aircraft in Development as NASA and Boeing Work to Produce New Sustainable Flight Demonstrator
A new transonic truss-braced wing (TTBW) aircraft design is in development, following an announcement from NASA that it has chosen Boeing to lead the design and production of a new full-scale demonstrator aircraft.
Scientists Confirm Observation of Mysterious “Cherenkov Effect” in Two-Dimensional Space
Scientists in Israel have confirmed the first experimental observation of Cherenkov radiation while confined in two dimensions, according to new research.
Experimental Military Spacecraft LDPE-3A Launches to Defend U.S. National Security in Space
The experimental military spacecraft LDPE-3A was successfully launched into orbit earlier this week as part of the U.S. Space Force as part of its Long Duration Propulsive ESPA (LDPE) program.
Energy Teleportation and Negative Energy Observed in Quantum Research Breakthrough
The first experimental demonstration of quantum energy teleportation on real quantum hardware has been observed, according to new research that also cites observations of negative energy.
U.S. Department of Energy is Testing Materials For Building “Next Generation of Fusion Reactors”
Physicists working at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility (NFF) are involved in tests with materials they hope to use in the construction of next-gen fusion reactors.