Secret ‘Sonic Weapon’ Claims, a New Astronomical Mystery, and a 2000-Year-Old Toxic Surprise
This week in recent news from The Debrief, we look at claims of a secret U.S. sonic weapon, an astronomical mystery, and a toxic archaeological discovery.
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.
2000-Year-Old Grave Reveals Mysterious Red Toxic Surprise, Confirming Once Unknown Ancient Burial Practice
The presence of a mysterious red substance has revealed a toxic discovery in a 2,000-year-old grave in southern Ukraine.
NASA Officials to Evacuate International Space Station After Mysterious “Medical Concern” Affects Crew-11 Astronaut
NASA plans to return several astronauts to Earth following a “medical concern” on board the International Space Station (ISS).
“A New Type of Astronomical Object”: Hubble Telescope Confirms First Detection of a “Relic” Unlike Anything Astronomers Have Seen
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has spotted an object unlike any previously observed, revealing an unusual remnant of the cosmic past.
A Mysterious “Medical Concern” in Space Caused NASA to Cancel a Spacewalk—Here’s Everything We Know
NASA has postponed the first planned spacewalk of 2026 after a medical concern involving a crew member aboard the International Space Station.
Voynich Manuscript Breakthrough? The Secret Behind “The Most Mysterious Book in the World” May Involve an Ancient Cipher System
A new theory argues the famous Voynich Manuscript, often referred to as “the most mysterious book in the world,” may have served as an ancient cipher system.
Double-Slit Experiment Challenges Einstein, Communication with Light, and a Baffling Paradox
This week in news from The Debrief, new research resolving a century-old debate surrounding the double-slit experiment, communication with light, and more are featured.
Scientists Have Discovered Evidence of Previously Unknown Electrical Power Generation in Living Cells
New evidence of electrical power generation on cell membranes could offer insights into how living cells interact with their surroundings.
A Baffling Paradox Led Physicists to the Discovery of Particles of Light That Can Exist in 37 Different Dimensions
An international team says they successfully demonstrated conditions under which photons appear to exist simultaneously in 37 dimensions.
Fusion Ignition Breakthrough: Energy Researchers Report Tokamak Experiments That Exceed Mysterious ‘Plasma Density Limit’
In a new milestone for fusion energy research, physicists in China say they have exceeded the plasma-density limit.
Einstein Was Wrong? Ingenious New Double-Slit Experiment Settles a Century-Old Debate in Quantum Mechanics
Researchers have finally resolved a century-old debate over the famous "double slit" experiment, according to new research.
Archaeologists Have Discovered a Massive Ancient Structure in Ireland—It Could Be the Largest Prehistoric Site of Its Kind
Archaeologists have discovered one of the largest settlements ever identified in Ireland's Baltinglass hillfort landscape.
Space, Archaeology, Consciousness, and the Science of Tomorrow: The Top Science Stories of 2025
2025 has been an exceptional year for discoveries, and we here at The Debrief have kept a watchful eye throughout the last twelve months as several major scientific discoveries and important technological achievements have occurred throughout the year.
Science of Tomorrow: The Top Discoveries in 2025 That Are Pushing the Boundaries of Science
From science-fiction technologies like warp drives and levitation to the search for evidence of intelligent life elsewhere in the cosmos, here is a look at some of the stories from 2025 that are pushing the boundaries of current scientific concepts.
Science of Consciousness: The Most Intriguing Discoveries in 2025 Involving Neuroscience and the Mind
Questions about the nature of consciousness remain among the most perplexing areas of modern scientific research, with implications for both the human mind and our broader concept of reality.
Archaeology in 2025: Here Are Several of This Year’s Most Fascinating Ancient Discoveries
Here’s a look at some of our favorite archaeological discoveries from 2025, and some of the greatest new insights we’ve obtained about the ancient world throughout the year.
Beyond the Standard Model: Here Are the Top Mind-Bending Physics Stories from 2025
Taking a look back over the last twelve months, here are several of the biggest science stories in physics this year, as well as a few of our favorite mind-bending science stories from 2025.
Astronomy in 2025: This Year’s Most Captivating Discoveries in Space and the Cosmos
Here is a look at just a few of the biggest developments in astronomy that The Debrief has been tracking in 2025.
A New “Cloaking Device” is Unveiled, Ancient Technology Emerges, and the Space Force’s New ‘Ghosts, Gods, and Monsters’
This week in our top stories, researchers unveil a novel "cloaking device" that can shield complex objects from detection, and more.
“We Did Not Expect Anything Like This”: How a Black-Market Archaeological Discovery Helped Unearth a Lost Ancient Fortress
A collection of silver coins sold on the black market has led European archaeologists to the discovery of...
3I/ATLAS Is Making Its Closest Approach to Earth Today—Here’s Everything You Need to Know
On Friday, interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS makes its nearest approach to Earth. Here's what you need to know, and how to track the alien visitor.
White House Backs Sweeping Reforms as Congress Advances 2026 Defense Authorization Bill
This week, Congress has advanced the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) toward becoming law.
NASA Spots a Mysterious “Siberian Snowman” in New Satellite Images
Satellite imagery of a remote village that once served as a Soviet supply port during the Cold War has revealed an odd discovery—one that resembles an iconic wintertime mainstay.
Colossal Foundation Expands Its Ambitious Genetic Rescue and De-Extinction Programs to Save Endangered Species
Colossal Foundation, the nonprofit element of the Texas-based de-extinction and conservation science company Colossal Biosciences, has announced a $50 million funding boost that is advancing its efforts to support wildlife recovery projects.
Mysterious ‘Little Foot’ Could Be an Unidentified Humanlike Species, Researchers Conclude
Scientists challenge past conclusions about "Little Foot," an enigmatic ancient human fossil, now arguing that it is an unidentified species.
A Real-Life ‘Star Wars’ Discovery, Einstein Vindicated Again, and Solving a Deadly 4000-Year-Old Mystery
This week, astronomers have spotted a 'Tatooine' world, Einstein has been proven right (again), and a Bronze Age mystery comes into focus.
This Enigmatic Ancient Script Hidden Within the Dead Sea Scrolls Was Thought to be Indecipherable—Until Now
A researcher has solved one of the longstanding riddles of the Dead Sea Scrolls by deciphering a hidden script within the famous texts.
NASA Says an “Anomaly” Has Led to Sudden Signal Loss with One of Its Spacecraft Orbiting Mars
This week, NASA revealed that one of its spacecraft currently in orbit around Mars has inexplicably lost signal due to an "anomaly."
Was This the First Fire? Archaeologists Unearth New Evidence That Could Solve a Burning Ancient Question
New research by English archaeologists presents strong evidence for the earliest known use of fire by ancient humans.
A Webb Telescope Discovery “That Shouldn’t Exist,” a Mysterious Stairway to Nowhere, and Support for Near-Death Experiences
This week, JWST discoveries, archaeological mysteries, and neuroscience research into the mystery of near-death experiences are all featured in the news.
A Curious Stairway to Nowhere Led Archaeologists to the Discovery of a “Lost Pompeii,” New Research Reveals
Archaeologists are digitally reconstructing “lost” portions of Pompeii, offering an unprecedented glimpse at one of history's most enigmatic cities.
Classified Report Concludes Defense Secretary’s Signal Messages Were a Safety Risk to U.S. Personnel
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's use of the Signal messaging app for official communications may have put U.S. personnel at risk, a new Inspector General report argues.
‘Ice Volcanoes’ Are Erupting All Over 3I/ATLAS, as Scientists Say the Alien Visitor “May be a Primitive Carbonaceous Object”
The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS may be showing signs of active eruptions from ice volcanoes on its surface, according to new analysis of the unusual space object.
Universal Consciousness Before the Big Bang, the Launch of “UAlbany Project X”, and Extremophile Survival in Space
In news this week from The Debrief, scientists are looking at the idea of pre-Big Bang "universal consciousness," extreme organism survival in space, and the launch of a cutting-edge new UAP research initiative.
“UAlbany Project X”: How a Team of New York Physicists is Launching a Cutting-Edge Investigation into Aerial Mysteries
Physicists at the University at Albany have launched 'UAlbany Project X,' a long-term scientific study of unidentified anomalous phenomena.
“Bronze Age People Didn’t Do That”: English Team Unearths “Unprecedented” Evidence of 4500-Year-Old Ancient Monument
British archaeologists have made a discovery they believe points to an unusual ancient monument that once stood in Northwest England 4,500 years ago.
Roman Space Telescope Update: NASA Teases Exciting News on Its Next Flagship Observatory
NASA is heading into the holidays with long-awaited good news about its next flagship observatory, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
NASA Spacecraft Discovery Could Solve the Riddle of This Mysterious Feature Buried Under Thousands of Feet of Martian Ice
NASA scientists say they may have finally identified an unusual feature hidden beneath thousands of feet of ice near the Martian south pole.
Colossal Structures Within the Earth, DARPA’s New Deep-Space Network, and Genetically Engineered Fungi for Food
This week, we examine colossal structures deep within the Earth, DARPA's new deep-space network for tracking tiny spacecraft, and a new genetically modified source of plant-based protein.
“These Are Not Random Oddities”: New Clues Emerge About Anomalous Continent-Sized Structures Deep Within the Earth
New insights into a pair of colossal, continent-sized structures 1,800 miles beneath the Earth’s surface have revealed clues into how the planet formed and evolved.
NASA Finally Reveals Long-Awaited 3I/ATLAS Images—There’s Still No Sign of Aliens
This week, NASA finally released long-awaited images of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, following weeks of silence during the record-long U.S. government shutdown.
Russian Archaeologists Have Located a Lost Medieval ‘Necropolis’ Beneath One of the World’s Deepest Lakes
Archaeologists have found a lost Silk Road settlement including the remains of a submerged necropolis within the world's eighth-deepest lake.
A Hypersonic Breakthrough, Ancient Pyrotechnology, and Ant Queens with ‘Chemical Weapons’
This week in news from The Debrief, we examine recent hypersonic experiments that have confirmed a 60-year-old turbulence theory, along with evidence of ancient pyrotechnology and more.
An Unexpected Discovery in Lunar Soil Samples Could Solve a Magnetic Moon Mystery
Scientists have made a surprise discovery in lunar soil samples that could help unravel the mystery behind the Moon’s magnetic anomalies.
Eerie Sightings of “Sea Serpents” Have Haunted Sailors for Centuries—We Went to a Famous Monster Hunter for Answers to the Mystery
Tales of sea serpents have haunted seafarers for centuries, and Scottish researcher Adrian Shine offers a naturalist's view on some of history's most famous cases.
Neanderthals’ Disappearance May Not Have Been from Extinction, Controversial New Study Argues
Neanderthals may not have truly gone extinct, according to a new mathematical model that suggests they underwent genetic dilution over time.
Longest Government Shutdown in U.S. History Ends Amid New Epstein Controversy
This week, a political win following the longest U.S. government shutdown is eclipsed by fallout from newly released Epstein emails.
Hidden Inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, a Tantalizing Discovery May Soon “Write a New Chapter in the History of the Pharaohs”
A discovery within the Great Pyramid of Giza could soon reshape our understanding of ancient Egypt, according to tantalizing new claims.
3I/ATLAS Radio Signal Detections Offer New Confirmation of What Many Astronomers Have Been Saying for Months
New radio observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS leave little question about the object’s natural origin.
An Odd Discovery in the Alps, a Promising New Cancer-Killer, and Our Hidden “Seventh Sense”
This week, The Debrief reports on new cancer-killing therapies, a new seventh sense, and why archaeologists have turned to the public after making an odd discovery.