Researchers Just Created an Electron Beam Generator Using the Lead Tip of a Mechanical Pencil
Researchers have used the lead tip of a mechanical pencil to produce a low-cost, high-performance electron beam generator.
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 Search for a ‘Theory of Everything,’ Levitation Using Sunlight, and Death Valley’s Mysterious Moving Stones
Physicists moving closer than ever to a 'Theory of Everything' and other science stories involving cosmology, robotics, and environmental mysteries are trending this week at The Debrief.
A Giant Rockfall at Yosemite Decades Ago Caused a Supersonic Airblast—Here’s What Made the One-of-a-Kind Event So Deadly
In 1996, an large rockfall in the Yosemite Valley resulted in a devastating event that generated a sonic boom and a huge granite dust cloud.
James Webb Space Telescope Discovers ‘Earendel,’ the Most Distant Star Ever Seen, Could Be Something Else
Earendel, which astronomers believed to be the most distant star ever observed, may be something else according to new research.
AI Has Spotted a ‘Very Strange’ Stellar Death Unlike Anything Astronomers Have Ever Seen
This week, astronomers have documented the occurrence of an unprecedented stellar death unlike anything seen before.
What Is It? Astronomers Reveal “Punctum,” a New Celestial Object Unlike Any Other Known to Exist
A faint signal detected in a nearby galaxy led to the discovery of "Punctum," a celestial object unlike any previously observed in our universe.
Astronomers Spot Ancient Fast Radio Burst from the Early Universe—And It’s the Most-Distant Ever Seen
The most distant fast radio burst ever observed, originating from a time when the universe was just three billion years old, has been detected by astronomers.
Scientists Measure ‘Impossible’ Quantum Motion, a Meteorite Smashes Into a Home, and NASA’s Webb Hunts a Missing Planet
This week, scientists say they have achieved the "impossible" by directly measuring zero-point motion in a molecule, and much more.
Scientists Use Lasers to Reveal Mysterious Hidden Phenomena Occurring Over Ocean Waves
Scientists using lasers have discovered a previously hidden environment that exists in the transitional zone between the air and the sea.
This Meteorite Crashed Through a Georgia Home—Experts Warn the Next Impact Could Be a “Catastrophic Situation”
A scientist who analyzed fragments of the McDonough meteorite, which struck a home in June, now warns of a future "catastrophic situation."
Medical Emergency Prompts Evacuation of U.S. Antarctic Base in Daring Midwinter Rescue Operation
An emergency medical situation prompted a demanding mid-winter evacuation from the United States' McMurdo Station in Antarctica this week.
A Nuclear Reactor on the Moon? U.S. Races to Deploy Nuclear Power in Space Amid China-Russia Push
A newly surfaced NASA directive reveals a fast-tracked effort by the United States to deploy a nuclear reactor on the Moon and Mars.
“Neglectons”—Particles Once Considered Mathematical Garbage—May Hold the Key to Quantum Computing
Researchers offer fresh perspectives on challenges in quantum computing with a new look at a once-overlooked particle called the "neglecton."
A Damaging Aquatic Invader Was Discovered in the Colorado River—Officials Have Finally Solved the Mystery of Its Origins
Officials were baffled by the surprise discovery of a destructive invasive species in the Colorado River earlier this year.
Pluto’s Alien Landscape Reveals “Bladed Terrain” Riddled with Massive Methane Ice Spires, Study Suggests
Pluto’s mysterious far side may conceal towering ice formations, according to research offering clues about the dwarf planet’s bladed terrain.
A Radioactive Wasp Nest Was Just Discovered at a Cold War-Era Nuclear Site by Department of Energy Officials
A concerning find was recently made at the Savannah River Site’s F-Area Tank Farm, involving the discovery of a radioactive wasp nest.
In the Darkness Between Stars, Mysterious Rogue Planets May Be Building Worlds of Their Own, Webb Telescope Reveals
New research has revealed that mysterious ‘rogue planets’ could be assembling scaled-down planetary systems of their own.
NASA Unveils ‘Hidden’ Cave Entrances to the Moon’s Secret Underworld
This week, a groundbreaking new study reveals the discovery of new caves on the Moon that could serve as natural entrances to the lunar underworld.
James Webb Space Telescope Spots a “Cosmic Starfish,” Revealing Multi-Polar Chaos in a Dying Star’s Final Act
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope catches stunning new views of a complex multi-polar structure resembling a cosmic "starfish."
Scientists Are Still Perplexed by Quantum Physics and Can’t Agree on Its True Meaning, Landmark Survey Finds
Quantum mechanics remains mysterious as it turns 100, and a landmark survey reveals physicists are still sharply divided over its meaning.
Tsunami Waves Strike Pacific Nations After 8.8-Magnitude Russian Earthquake—Here’s What You Should Know
Several countries remain on tsunami alerts after a colossal magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula late on Tuesday.
Kardashev Collapse? New Study Warns Alien Megastructures Could Destroy Themselves Before We Ever Find Them
A new study challenges whether alien megastructures, such as Dyson spheres, could last as durable signs of advanced civilizations.
13,000 Years Ago, a Catastrophic Flood Scoured Oregon’s Ancient Landscape—New Satellite Images Reveal the Lasting Impact
Evidence of an ancient catastrophic flood that occurred 13,000 years ago has been revealed in new images obtained by the Landsat 8 satellite.
Baltic Sea Turns an Eerie Green as Ancient Organisms Invade Its Waters, New Satellite Images Reveal
Brilliant swirls of green are adding color to the waters of the Baltic Sea, as its summer waters are being overrun with microorganisms.
Cosmic Radiation Gifted ‘The Fantastic Four’ With Superpowers—But What Would It Do to a Person in Real Life?
What would happen to someone in real life if they were exposed to the same cosmic forces that gifted The Fantastic Four with superpowers?
Aliens, or Something Else? Astronomers Thought Life Might Exist on This Exoplanet—New James Webb Telescope Data Says Otherwise
Claims that extraterrestrial life may exist on the exoplanet K2-18b face new challenges from James Webb Space Telescope data.
James Webb Space Telescope Sees ‘Zombie’ Black Holes Spring to Life, Feasting on Stars in Dramatic Tidal Disruption Events
Astronomers have made a series of first-of-their-kind observations that uncover the dusty remains of stars ripped apart by supermassive black holes.
Are the ‘Seeds of Life’ Assembled in Space? A Stunning Discovery Says It’s Possible
This week, astronomers using the ALMA telescope have made a landmark discovery in the search for the cosmic "seeds of life."
Stonehenge Mystery: Enigmatic ‘Newall Boulder’ Wasn’t Moved by Glaciers After All—Its True Origins Are Even More Striking
A discovery from England’s famous Stonehenge has now been traced to a surprising source, which upends past thinking on its origins.
Vera Rubin Observatory Unveils First High-Res Images of 3I/ATLAS—Captured Days Before Astronomers Knew It Existed
A mysterious new interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, was discovered in July. It turns out that wasn't the first time our telescopes spotted it.
In a Stunning First, Scientists Have Watched a Star Survive a Black Hole Encounter
For the first time, astronomers have confirmed a star’s survival following a tidal disruption event with a supermassive black hole.
Satellite Images Reveal Strange Circles, Smiley Faces, and Other Seasonal Curiosities on the Greenland Ice Sheet
With the arrival of summer, the Greenland Ice Sheet has adopted its ‘summer look,’ revealing a few odd shapes and other curiosities.
INVICTUS: ESA’s Bold Hypersonic Initiative Aims to Revolutionize High-Speed Flight with Next-Gen Propulsion Tech
The ESA's INVICTUS initiative has entered the race to develop potentially revolutionary reusable hypersonic flight technology.
Evolution Keeps Producing Anteaters, and New Research Finally Reveals the Strange Reason Why
New research has revealed the evolutionary reason anteaters have evolved at least a dozen times since the time of the dinosaurs.
Astronomers Spot Strange Activity Over Jupiter’s North Pole That Could Lead to a Paradigm Shift in Plasma Physics
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has detected an unusual new variety of plasma phenomenon occurring over Jupiter's north pole.
30,000-Acre ‘Gothic Fire’ Scorches Military Training Range Near Nevada’s Secretive Area 51
A massive wildfire raging near Area 51 continues to burn its way across the Nevada Test and Training Range, according to federal officials.
How Soon Will We See Nuclear Fusion? New Indicators Suggest It May Be Sooner Than We Think.
This week, momentum is building around nuclear fusion, as tech investment and breakthroughs suggest it may arrive sooner than many experts are anticipating.
A Lake Vanished Without a Trace in Remote Quebec—Can Satellite Data Solve the Mystery?
In early May 2025, an entire lake vanished without a trace in remote Quebec. Now satellite imagery may offer clues to what happened.
Scientists Link Cataclysmic Volcanic Eruptions to Mysterious Continent-Sized ‘BLOBS’ Deep Within the Earth
New research traces the origins of Earth’s most powerful volcanic eruptions to mysterious continent-sized structures deep within our planet.
“There is Something Very Different Going on Here”: Archaeologists Keep Finding Gigantic Shoes at This 2000-Year-Old Roman Site
Recent excavations at an ancient Roman site in England have unearthed gigantic shoes that may be among the largest ever found.
“What Else is Out There?” New Study Reveals Everything We Currently Know About Mysterious Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS
New research has revealed everything astronomers currently know about the mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS.
An Unknown ‘Fifth Force’ May Explain a Baffling Physics Mystery—These Researchers Have a Bold New Plan to Uncover It
Physicists at ETH Zurich in Switzerland have a novel plan to uncover an unknown fifth force of nature long theorized to exist.
“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%.
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.