Grok Goes to War: Pentagon Reveals Musk’s AI Chatbot Launched Missiles in U.S. War with Iran
This week, we learned the Pentagon reportedly leveraged Elon Musk’s xAI to assist in the launch of as many as 2,000 munitions in the U.S. war with Iran.
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.
NASA Just Tested a Secretive Experimental Aircraft in a “Major Milestone” for Supersonic Flight
An experimental aircraft just achieved a “major milestone” that NASA officials say brings the future of quiet supersonic...
This Breakthrough Propulsion Technology Could One Day Carry Humans to the Stars—But There’s a Problem
A futuristic propulsion system may have a few hurdles to cross before it can attain the near-light-speeds many experts had hoped for.
“This is Far from an Ordinary Burial”: Archaeologists Have Made Rare Discoveries in an ‘Elite’ Siberian Grave
A burial site uncovered by archaeologists in southern Siberia has revealed a series of unusual discoveries.
Forgotten in a Museum for Two Centuries, This Weird Artifact’s Rediscovery Upends a Long-Held Belief About the Vikings
A curiosity that had been locked away in a museum’s archives for more than 200 years is now revealing clues to a longstanding Viking mystery.
Scientists Uncover New Evidence of Mysterious ‘Time-Reversal Symmetry Breaking’ in This ‘Exotic’ Kagome Metal
Physicists report the discovery of new evidence for a mysterious quantum state in an unusual class of materials.
Experts Warn of Potential Covert Misuse of Fusion Reactors—Antineutrino Detectors Could Offer a Safeguard, New Research Reveals
New research reveals how fusion reactors could be monitored for any potential illicit production of plutonium for nuclear weapons.
A Venus Flytrap Mystery That Has Perplexed Scientists Since Darwin Has Finally Been Solved
New research is finally shedding light on one of the Venus flytrap's most curious and enduring mysteries.
The Pentagon Just Released Its Third Batch of UAP Files—What Have We Learned from the PURSUE Releases So Far?
What do the Pentagon's latest releases of UAP records reveal? The Debrief takes a look at what's in the new files, what's missing, and how it relates to public attitudes toward the UAP issue.
This Unusual Artifact Resembling a TV Remote Could Reveal the Oldest Evidence of Numerical Calculation in Mesoamerica
Archaeologists have discovered an unusual artifact they say could represent the earliest known use of written numbers ever discovered in Mesoamerica.
New SPHEREx Space Telescope Images Confirm a Major Problem That Many Astronomers Were Afraid Of
Nearly 3 out of every 4 images obtained by NASA’s SPHEREx space telescope now confirm something many astronomers had been afraid of.
Pentagon Official Provides Update on “Hazardous Materials Incident” That Prompted Shelter-in-Place Order
A shelter-in-place order was issued at the Pentagon on Thursday following what was characterized as a “hazardous materials incident”.
U.S. and Iran Exchange New Strikes as Conflict Edges Closer to Wider War
This week, the U.S and Iran engaged in a new round of military strikes, sparking concerns over the potential for a broader-reaching conflict.
Earthquake Experts Modeled 1,000 Years of Activity in California—What They Found Now Has Scientists Concerned
California could be due for a major earthquake in the near future, according to concerning new models based on a millennium of data.
2,600-Year-Old Underground Discovery Reveals a Mysterious Ancient Structure Hidden Below Egypt’s Nile Delta
A curious recent discovery has revealed a promising new underground archaeological find at the ancient site of Buto in Egypt’s Nile Delta.
“We Must Strengthen Our Processes”: NASA Issues Update on ‘Antenna Mishap’ Involving Deep Space Station 14
NASA officials have completed an investigation into an incident that caused damage to the 70-meter Deep Space Station 14 antenna last September.
An Explorer Vanished Searching for a ‘Lost Civilization’ in the Amazon—Now Archaeologists Think They May Have Found It
Advancements in archaeology made with LiDAR and other technologies are revealing evidence of a "lost civilization" in the heart of the Amazon.
Mysterious Artificial Islands in Scotland Have Long Perplexed Archaeologists—A New Discovery Reveals Clues to Their Ancient Origins
Scattered throughout Scotland’s ancient lochs, curious structures known as crannogs have long intrigued archaeologists and historians.
This Ancient Artifact Remained Unidentified for Decades—Now It’s Rewriting the History of One of Japan’s Early Iron Technologies
An iron artifact recovered by archaeologists may be the oldest of its kind ever found in Japan, according to new research.
5,500-Year-Old Discoveries in a Remote Mountain Cave Reveal Evidence of Prehistoric Industry Linked to the Dawn of Metallurgy
Strange green stones, possible hidden burials, and other discoveries have been made in a remote cave high in the Pyrenees mountains.
4,500-Year-Old Discovery on a Remote Island Could Change Everything We Know About Ancient Nautical Technology in the High Arctic
A discovery by archaeologists on a remote island in the High Arctic could upend past thinking on ancient seafaring technology.
In Antarctica, Scientists Just Discovered a Massive Hidden Structure Deep Below the Frozen Surface
A massive, semi-continent-sized subsurface structure has been discovered by scientists beneath Antarctica’s frozen surface.
A Spacecraft Mysteriously Went Silent—Now NASA Officials Are Speaking Up After Months of Speculation
This week, NASA has officially confirmed the end of its MAVEN Mars mission after the spacecraft mysteriously fell silent late last year.
Look What NASA Captured in Satellite Images as This Bizarre Phenomenon Erupted from the Heart of a Super Typhoon
A violent typhoon that tore across the North Pacific Ocean in April offered a rare look at an unusual spectacle of the natural world, captured in nighttime imagery by a U.S. satellite.
Physicists Tried Cutting a Photon in Half—Then Things Got Really Weird
What would happen if you tried to cut an elementary particle like a photon into smaller pieces? New research suggests it could get very weird.
One of America’s Rarest Species Just Narrowly Survived a Historic Wildfire—NASA Satellite Images Reveal the Stunning Damage
NASA satellite images reveal recent damage on Santa Rosa Island from what officials say was the largest Channel Islands wildfire on record.
A Massive 6000-Year-Old ‘Mega-Structure’ Unearthed by Archaeologists Reveals Links to a Mysterious Early European Culture
A massive discovery in northeastern Romania has revealed links to a curious ancient culture from ancient Eastern Europe’s Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods.
Gravity Mysteries Sealed in an Envelope, an Odd Schrödinger’s Cat State, and a Massive Discovery Under an NY Cemetery
This week at The Debrief, new clues to gravity mysteries, a fireball explosion captured in satellite imagery, and "Schrödinger’s Cat States" are all in the news.
Scientists Just Revealed Something Massive Has Been Hiding Beneath This New York Cemetery for More Than a Century
Cornell University researchers have confirmed a massive, century-old underground discovery hidden below a New York cemetery.
NASA Officials Confirm Rare Event Captured in Satellite Images That Caused Loud Booms Heard Throughout New England
Residents of New England were startled over the weekend as a loud quaking boom shook the northeast, while many observers spotted a bright fireball streaking through the skies over the U.S. and Canada.
Something Revealed Itself by Bending the Light of a Distant Star in 2019—Now Astronomers Are Racing to Find Out What It Was
For just an hour in late 2019, a cosmic mystery revealed itself to astronomers in an unprecedented way: by bending the light of a star.
New Report Highlights Official Concerns Over “Anti-Tech Extremism” in U.S. as AI-Related Fears Rise
This week, a new report argues that U.S. federal officials are warning about possible concerns over forms of anti-tech extremism in America.
In the High Himalayas, a Mysterious Animal That Has Intrigued Scientists for 160 Years Has Revealed an Astonishing Secret
A major biological surprise has emerged from the heart of the mysterious Himalayas, according to scientists who made the unexpected discovery.
ATLAS Collaboration Physicists Just Revealed the Discovery of an Entirely New Exotic Particle
In a physicists first, researchers with the ATLAS Collaboration report the successful observation of a new exotic particle.
Hidden in a Croatian Cave, Archaeologists Have Made a Perplexing Discovery They Say “Remains Open to Interpretation”
Archaeologists in Croatia have made an unusual discovery at an ancient ritual site along the country’s southern coast.
Scientists Thought This Species Was Extinct for Decades—A Chance Photograph in Remote Australia Just Proved Otherwise
A discovery in remote northern Australia has revealed the survival of a species thought to have been driven to extinction more than half a century ago.
600-Year-Old Artifacts Reveal Surprising First Evidence of Sophisticated Ancient Medical Knowledge in China’s Ming Dynasty
New research reveals that ancient Ming Dynasty surgeons were using a remarkably advanced surgical technique as early as the 14th century.
Legend Trippers Are Losing Themselves in Mysterious Online “Backrooms” Resembling Empty Corridors—These Researchers Want to Know Why
Researchers reveal the phenomenon of "intense emotional experiences in spaces that are not physically real" sought by online legend trippers.
Scientists Reveal a Bizarre Space-Time Structural Phenomenon That Could Be Creating Baby Black Holes
The space-time oddities of modern physics may have just been taken to a new level of odd, as...
Physicists Created a New Hybrid Light-Matter Particle That Could Revolutionize Future Computation
Physicists have created a new hybrid light-matter particle that could fundamentally reshape the future of AI and computation.
The Great Pyramid Has Endured for Millennia—Scientists Have Finally Decoded the Ancient Engineering Technology That Made It Possible
New research offers compelling evidence that "ancient Egyptian architects possessed profound geotechnical understanding" which has protected the Great Pyramid for thousands of years.
Pentagon Poised to Release New Batch of UAP Videos Under PURSUE Initiative
This week, anticipation is building around a possible new Pentagon disclosure involving dozens of UAP videos and records.
A New Batch of Pentagon UAP Videos Will Soon Be Released—Here’s What to Expect
A new batch of Pentagon videos and other records related to UAP is expected to soon be released by the Department of War.
Scientists Have Confirmed a “Completely Unexpected” Martian Discovery with Help from NASA’s ‘MAVEN’ Mission Data
Scientists have confirmed an unexpected discovery in the atmosphere of Mars, according to newly published findings.
Researchers Use “Ghost Imaging” with Sunlight to Generate Correlated Photon Pairs Without Lasers or Electricity
Scientists have achieved a potential breakthrough in quantum optics by successfully generating correlated photon pairs using sunlight.
An “Impossible” Crystal, 8000-Year-Old Lost Technology, and a Radical Approach to Solving Consciousness Mysteries
This week, an "impossible" crystal formed during a historic nuclear blast, 8000-year-old technology "lost to history," and radical approches to solving consciousness questions are in the news.
CDC Officials Warn ER Visits Are Rising Due to Bites from This Parasite Linked to Dangerous Illness—Here’s What You Need to Know
Emergency rooms are seeing an uptick in visits related to bites from a common parasite, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“A Technology Lost to History”: New Evidence of Sophisticated Neolithic Engineering Predates Its Roman ‘Invention’ by 8000 Years
New evidence suggests Neolithic people in the Judean Mountains achieved an engineering breakthrough 8000 years before the ancient Romans.
NASA Researchers Have Discovered Something Unexpected in These Haunting New Maps of Earth’s Artificial Light
Subtle changes are occurring in the nighttime world on our planet, according to NASA scientists who say an unexpected pattern has surfaced in new maps of the world’s artificial light.
3000-Year-Old Evidence of “Anomalous” Iron Production Suggests Bronze Age Metalsmiths Launched a Technological Revolution by Accident
Long before the discovery of iron reshaped civilizations, Bronze Age metalworkers may discovered it by accident, new research suggests.