“Save NASA”: Scientists Protest Deep Cuts to Agency’s Science Programs
In our analysis this week, we look at how NASA's proposed budget would slash the agency's science division by nearly 50%.
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.
Scientists Map 37,000 Years of Human Infectious Disease in Landmark Effort to “Help Us Prepare For the Future”
New landmark research has successfully mapped 37,000 years of infectious disease across ancient human populations.
Forgotten for Nearly a Century, a ‘Lost’ Fusion Breakthrough Has Been Unearthed—and Physicists Just Recreated It
A forgotten fusion experiment from 1938 has been unearthed, revealing a lost discovery that seeded a key concept in modern nuclear physics.
Resurrecting the Moa: A New Deextinction Initiative Blends Māori Wisdom with Cutting-Edge Genomics to Revive a Lost Giant
A groundbreaking new collaboration is working to resurrect one of New Zealand’s most enigmatic lost species, the South Island Giant Moa.
Look: Stunning First Images from Vera C. Rubin Observatory Reveal the Cosmos Like Nothing You’ve Ever Seen
The widely anticipated first images collected by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory have been released, offering nothing short of an awe-inspiring view of the cosmos.
Did a Mystery Object Just Hit Saturn? Astronomers Investigating Strange Flash Issue Urgent Call for Images
Astronomers are calling for images of Saturn captured over the weekend that may help document a rare impact event with a mystery object.
Scientists Are Tracking an Undersea Phenomenon Off Japan’s Tsunami-Prone Coast Linked to “Silent” Earthquakes
In a scientific first, researchers have tracked the elusive motion of a rare variety of earthquake during a seismic event along a major fault zone on the ocean floor.
NASA Reveals New Images of Oddly Shaped Asteroid ‘Donaldjohanson’ Captured by Lucy Spacecraft
NASA has released new detailed images revealing a full-frame view of the peculiarly shaped asteroid Donaldjohanson.
NASA Confirms Arrival of New Interstellar Object in Our Solar System: Here’s What We Know
This week, a new object from interstellar space has entered our solar system, as recently confirmed by NASA.
James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Peculiar Cosmic ‘Jellyfish’ in Rare Galactic Observation
The most distant known example of what astronomers call a “jellyfish galaxy” has been spotted by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.
Look: NASA Satellite Images Reveal Mysterious Blast Site of 1908 Tunguska Event that Scorched Remote Siberia
The mysterious blast site of the Tunguska Event of 1908 is revealed in satellite images obtained by NASA’s Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8.
James Webb Space Telescope Trains Its Sights on the ‘Bullet Cluster,’ Revealing a Stunning View of Galaxies in Collision
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured high-resolution images of the Bullet Cluster, revealing its complex dynamics.
A Mysterious Radio Signal from Space Was Traced to an Unexpected Source—and It’s Something Within Our Own Galaxy
An object astronomers initially thought to be a high-speed burst of radio waves from deep space last year has been revealed to be something else entirely.
U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s Long Range Radar Achieves Milestone in Live ICBM Tracking Test
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s Long Range Discrimination Radar aims to serve as the backbone of the current Golden Dome initiative for protecting America.
James Webb Space Telescope Captures First Direct Image of Mysterious Alien Exoplanet Lurking in Dusty Debris Disk
In a groundbreaking first, the James Webb Space Telescope has captured its first direct image of a distant exoplanet unrecognized from past astronomical surveys.
Tensions Escalate as Israel Strikes Iran; U.S. and Europe Seek to Contain Conflict
Israel and Iran enter their second week of hostilities as world leaders push for de-escalation, and the U.S. weighs its next moves.
Scientists Are Tracking Mysterious ‘Transient Luminous Events’ from Space Using This Innovative Tech
Scientists are using instruments on the International Space Station to shed light on the mysterious appearances of transient luminous events.
Engineering Artificial Eclipses, the ESA’s Proba-3 Mission Catches First High-Res Images of the Sun’s Mysterious Corona
The first images from the ESA's Proba-3 mission have captured the Sun's mysterious corona by creating artificial eclipses in space.
James Webb Space Telescope Has Spotted Something “Abnormal, Chaotic, and Strange” 60 Light-Years from Earth
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has spotted an “abnormal, chaotic, and strange" planetary system 60 light-years from Earth.
U.S. Army Secretary Refers to Astronaut “On the Moon Who’s a Soldier,” Igniting Secret Space Program Conspiracies
An odd statement by U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll this week ignited speculations about secretive U.S. military operations on the Moon.
Scientists Tracking Elusive Plasma ‘Blobs’ and ‘Voids’ Unravel a Longstanding Fusion Energy Mystery
New research involving plasma blobs and voids within tokamaks could soon solve a longstanding mystery in nuclear fusion research.
“We Are Past the Event Horizon”: Controversial AI Visionary Says the Singularity is Here, and It’s Not What We Expected
AI may have crossed a technological threshold popularly known as “Singularity,” according to one expert who says we have surpassed the point where machines exceed human capabilities.
Eyes in the Sky, Boots on the Ground: Surveillance and Military Force Meet U.S. Immigration Protests
This week, tensions continue to rise in American cities like Los Angeles following the deployment of National Guard troops in response to U.S. immigration protests.
SETI Researchers Report Potential Discovery of ‘Communication’ by Non-Human Intelligence in Earth’s Oceans
For the first time, scientists have documented a unique behavior in the animal kingdom that provides new insights into non-human intelligence and potential clues in the search for intelligent life from other worlds.
Tech Firm Palantir’s Government Work on Data Collection Sparks New Privacy Fears
Tech industry experts are sounding alarms about efforts to compile data on American citizens, as tech company Palantir’s involvement in government work expands.
7,000 Years Ago, a 1,200-Ton Boulder Was Dropped on a Pacific Island—Now Scientists Know How It Got There
Researchers have discovered a massive 1,200-ton out-of-place boulder that mysteriously made its way onto the island of Tonga long ago.
“It Seems Like Science Fiction”: Researchers Unleash Breakthrough Tracking Technology Using Environmental DNA
Scientists have revealed a novel means of tracking everything from wildlife to the presence of illicit substances using DNA that is readily detectable in the environment.
Hypersonic Flight and AI Dogfights: U.S. Defense Startups Set to Redefine Air Power
This week, new developments in autonomous and high-speed aviation are signaling a dramatic shift in the future of military airpower.
Scientists Have Made a Dark Discovery About Earth’s Oceans—Experts Call It a “Genuine Cause for Concern”
Scientists say Earth’s oceans are slowly getting darker, according to new findings that reveal a concerning trend affecting our planet.
James Webb Space Telescope Time Travels to Spot an Ancient “Mega-Monster,” Revealing a Cosmic Oddity
Stunning new deep-field imagery captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveals one of the universe's most distant galaxies.
Scientists Are Decoding a Mysterious Form of Writing From the Ancient Inca Empire—Here’s What It Reveals
Researchers studying an ancient form of string-writing used in pre-Columbian South America have unraveled new clues to a longstanding mystery.
Emergency Drill Reveals U.S. Government’s “Cosmic Blindspot” with Sobering Vulnerabilities to Solar Storms
A new report on the U.S.'s readiness in the face of threats from space has revealed concerns about our vulnerability to major solar storms.
Look: NASA’s Perseverance Rover Catches Rare Glimpse of a Mystery in the Martian Skies
NASA’s Perseverance rover has captured new images of a mystery gleaming in the Martian skies as dawn approached over the Red Planet earlier this year.
14,000 Years Ago, a Mysterious Solar Event “500 Times More Intense” Than Any Previously Known Bombarded Earth—Could it Happen Again?
New findings suggest that a mysterious solar event roughly 500 times more powerful than any recorded by scientists struck the Earth near the end of the last Ice Age.
The Hunt for “Planet X”: Is a Secret “Super-Earth” Lurking in Our Solar System?
This week, an old astronomical controversy is renewed as researchers present new evidence for a hidden "Planet X" in our solar system.
James Webb Space Telescope Confirms Major Discovery of Water Ice in Alien Planetary System for the First Time
The James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed the presence of water ice in a planetary system beyond our own for the first time.
“This Has Left Us Scratching Our Heads.” NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Spots Unexpected Light Activity on Jupiter
Stunning auroral activity has been observed on Jupiter, in an unexpected new discovery that has perplexed astronomers as to how it happens.
The Website of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence Has Been Missing in Action for Days
The official website of the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) appears to have been taken down over the weekend.
Hidden Beneath Antarctic Ice for Eons, a “Deeply Puzzling” Soviet-era Discovery Finally Reveals Its Secrets
Scientists reveal new discoveries about a mystery that has remained hidden beneath Antarctic ice for half a billion years.
Department of Energy-Funded Fusion Breakthrough Achieves “Paradigm Shift” in Magnetic Confinement
Scientists have achieved a breakthrough in magnetic confinement that could potentially quicken the advancement for fusion energy.
The Kessler Syndrome: Crisis in Space Intensifies as Thousands of Satellites Crowd Earth Orbit
This week we look at the "Kessler Syndrome," and how a chain reaction of orbital collisions could jeopardize infrastructure in space.
“Anomalous” Discovery in Antarctica Has Left Climate Scientists Scratching Their Heads
A discovery in Antarctica has revealed something few scientists would have expected: a reversal of its decades-long ice loss.
DARPA-Funded Research Develops Novel Technology to Combat Treatment-Resistant PTSD
Groundbreaking research has revealed a new method of potentially eliminating hard-to-treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnoses.
Pentagon Reveals Its Secretive New Talon-A Hypersonic Test Vehicle Has Completed a Second Experimental Flight
The Pentagon has revealed the completion of a second successful flight of a new reusable hypersonic test vehicle.
“I Thought I Was Witnessing End Times.” Massive Green Fireball Spotted by Hundreds as It Lit Up the Western Sky
An exceptionally bright green fireball was spotted by hundreds of sky watchers in the western U.S. over the weekend.
What’s That? NASA’s Curiosity Rover Spots Weird “Honeycomb” and “Waffle” Patterns on Mysterious Martian Rocks
NASA’s Curiosity rover has discovered odd polygonal fractures on the Martian surface that resemble honeycombs or waffle-like patterns.
Leaked Secrets, Empty Chairs: Pentagon Struggles as Leadership Crisis Continues
The Pentagon faces a critical moment as leadership turmoil, security leaks, and vacancies threaten its readiness amid global tensions.
Denisovans, Genetic Ghosts, and Relicts from the Past
This week we explore recent discoveries about the mysterious Denisovans that are causing scientists to rethink humanity's ancient history.
New Webb Telescope Findings Bring Black Hole Mysteries and the Hidden Side of Star Formation into Focus
New data from the MIRI EGS Galaxy and AGN (MEGA) survey showcases the power of the James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-Infrared imaging capabilities.
Satellite Data is Revealing the Return of an Elusive Predator to Finland’s Remote Wilderness
Satellite imagery is helping unveil the return of a predator to Finland’s remote forests, in an innovative new approach to wildlife research.