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.
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.
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.
Pilots May Notice Something Missing from the FAA’s Newest Aeronautical Charts
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has chosen to remove areas outside the United States on all its visual flight rules (VFR) aeronautical charts, according to a notice the agency issued late last year.
New Government UAP Report Outlines the DOD’s Latest Investigations Into ‘Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena’
A new government report details the latest findings in the DOD's ongoing investigations into unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).
Mystery Antennas Turning Up in Utah Have Officials Stumped. Here’s What They Might Be.
Officials in Utah have been perplexed by the appearance of "mystery antennas" that have been cropping up in remote locations on public lands.
“No Evidence of a Cyberattack” Behind FAA System Outage That Grounded U.S. Flights, Biden Says
The cause of an FAA system outage that grounded all U.S. domestic flights on Wednesday remains unknown, officials say.
New Discovery Deepens Our Understanding of Extreme Phenomena Involving Neutron Star Collisions
A new discovery that could potentially hasten our knowledge about physics in some of the universe’s most extreme areas has been revealed from data collected by astronomers over the last several decades.
This Awesome Flying Motorbike Will Be the World’s First Multi-Mission Air Utility Vehicle
A new line of aircraft set to be the fastest and most powerful micro VTOL air utility vehicles ever built will include a piloted “motorbike” aircraft for civilian and military applications.
By Producing Two Entangled Beams of Light, Researchers Have Achieved a Breakthrough in Quantum Physics
Researchers in Brazil have achieved a quantum breakthrough by succeeding in the creation of a source of illumination that produces two separate entangled beams of light, according to new research.
Is Disruptive Innovation on the Decline?
A recent study into the increasing volume of scientific and technological publications in recent years has observed what a team of researchers is calling a decline in “disruptive” innovation.
Planetary Scientists Used This New Model to Crack a Pair of Puzzling Astronomical Mysteries
A pair of puzzles that planetary scientists have observed amidst 3,800 different planetary systems may have been solved, with the aid of a new model that considers the influence of various forces on young planet formation.
HAARP Facility Experiment Bounces Radio Signals Off Space Object to Help Boost Planetary Defense
A 500-foot asteroid was recently the target of radio signals emitted by Alaska's HAARP facility, as part of an effort to enhance our ability to detect potentially deadly space objects.
NASA’s NEO Surveyor Will Defend Earth Against ‘Invisible’ Threats From Space
This week, we analyze NASA's next-generation telescope NEO Surveyor, which will hunt for "dark" asteroids and comets.
Ayahuasca’s Plant-Based Healing Effects May Be Enhanced by Traditional Music, New Research Shows
The positive effects of Ayahuasca may get a boost when paired with traditional music, according to a new study.
U.S. Developing Glide Phase Interceptor and Other Key Technologies to Combat Hypersonic Weapons Threats
American aerospace companies are working to develop innovative defense capabilities amidst new reports of Russia's increased use of hypersonic missiles.