MJ Banias, Author at The Debrief

Do Not Read the Mysterious Ancient Tablet Out Loud. Ever.

MJ Banias·November 21, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, the team wanders into some bizarre mysteries. From...

James Webb Space Telescope Has Discovered Something On a Nearby Exoplanet That Could “Reshape Our Understanding” of Planetary Evolution

MJ Banias·November 16, 2023

The James Webb Space Telescope, in a recent observation of exoplanet WASP-107b, has discovered some peculiar phenomena on the planet.

Engage the Quantum Drive!

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·November 15, 2023

On today’s episode, guest co-host and Debrief veteran Kenna Hughes-Castleberry joins MJ Banias and Stephanie Gerk to talk about the resurgence of an ancient mystery, a new study that seems to prove cannabis improves empathy, and the historic launch of the first quantum drive into outer space.

The Starfish Are Eating My Brain

MJ Banias·November 9, 2023

On today’s episode, Stephanie and MJ discuss the strange and wacky world of undersea evolution of marine invertebrates.

Exoplanet Hunters May Have Better Luck Searching for “Jurassic Worlds”, New Study Says

MJ Banias·November 8, 2023

A new study says that telescopes could more easily detect exoplanets with higher levels of oxygen, akin to the Phanerozoic Eon when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Revolutionary New Electric eJet Motor Could Signal a Breakthrough in Electric Propulsion for Aviation

MJ Banias·November 7, 2023

A new electric eJet motor was recently tested for airplanes, and it packs the same punch as its traditional fossil fuel-burning cousin.

The AI Arms Race Will Be The Next Geopolitical Kingmaker, Experts Warn

MJ Banias·November 4, 2023

Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as the board on which future conflicts will be strategized and future societies shaped, experts warn.

What Lies Beneath All That Antarctic Ice?

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·October 31, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, we get into how solar glass could revolutionize...

Engineers Have Turned This Killer Greenhouse Gas into An Efficient Fuel Source

MJ Banias·October 31, 2023

Engineers from MIT and Harvard University have unveiled an innovative process to transform carbon dioxide into formate, a substance that can function as a stable fuel.

Solar Panels Beware: Solar Glass is Here.

MJ Banias·October 26, 2023

In an era where renewable energy is quickly becoming a necessity, innovations such as solar glass are emerging to harness nature's resources efficiently.

The Neanderthal Kama Sutra

MJ Banias·October 24, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, we dive into NASA’s new RAMFIRE project to...

What Are We Going to Do With All These People’s Brains?

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·October 17, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, we discuss how electron beams weirdly heal fissures...

Lithium-Ion Batteries Could Soon be Replaced By New Green “Aqueous Rechargeable Batteries”

MJ Banias·October 16, 2023

Aqueous rechargeable batteries are a greener alternative to lithium batteries. A new breakthrough may help make them more readily available.

Move Over Solar Power, “Artificial Photosynthesis” Breakthrough Leads to New Energy-Rich Fuel Source

MJ Banias·October 12, 2023

Scientists have successfully mimicked the natural process of plants to produce methane via "artificial photosynthesis."

What You Gon’ Do With All That Space Junk?

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·October 10, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, we dive into NASA’s new project to build...

Can AI Actually Create Art?

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·September 30, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, we discuss a new study that says music...

This Game-Changing Lightweight Exosuit Will Let You Outrun the Fastest Human

MJ Banias·September 28, 2023

Researchers have developed a lightweight exosuit that enhances a human's natural ability to sprint, making people run faster.

WiFi Signals May Soon Be Used to Watch You

MJ Banias·September 15, 2023

New research shows WiFi signals that can read through walls, presenting profound implications for the future of communication and security.

Runes, Robots, and Replicating Hydrogen

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·September 10, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, we discuss Apollo, a new humanoid robot that...

AI Artists Advocate for Inclusion in Open Letter to Congress

MJ Banias·September 8, 2023

In a move that underscores the evolving landscape of the art world, a group of professional AI artists have penned an open letter to the US Congress.

Is There Life on Mars?

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·September 4, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, we discuss China’s claim that they can detect...

Liar, Liar, AI On Fire

MJ Banias·August 25, 2023

On today’s episode, podcaster Kennedy Chappel joins MJ Banias as a guest co-host to discuss a new study into the origins of life on Earth, how Russia is using a novel malware tool to hack into Starlink satellites, and a new AI-powered disinformation experiment called "CounterCloud."

Inside CounterCloud: A Fully Autonomous AI Disinformation System

The AI-powered disinformation experiment you've never heard of...

MJ Banias·August 16, 2023

CounterCloud, a totally autonomous AI disinformation system, gives a glimpse into how AI and disinformation will work together in the future.

Taylor Swift is My Giant Brain Virus

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·August 8, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, we discuss mysterious giant viruses discovered in Massachusetts,...

U.S. General’s Claim of Divine Ethics in American Defense Technology Misfires

MJ Banias·July 28, 2023

A U.S. Air Force General has recently argued that American AI is "more ethical" than that of its adversaries.

UFOs Go To Washington

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·July 28, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, we discuss whether solar panels will be replaced...

You’re a Wizard, Einstein!

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·July 21, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, we discuss Lockheed Martin’s latest secret aircraft, a...

Meet the Artist Pushing the Canadian Government to Adopt an AI “Bill of Rights”

MJ Banias·July 19, 2023

Canada's new AI laws are aimed to regulate artificial intelligence, but AI artist and author Tim Boucher says they don't go far enough.

Riding the Gravitational Waves of Your Mind

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·June 30, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, we discuss the GWB discovery, a 25-year-old bet...

Unraveling the Cosmic Symphony: The Top 5 Ways the Gravitational Wave Background Discovery Revolutionizes Our Understanding of the Universe

The GWB discovery is a big deal, so here's a quick list explaining why...

MJ Banias·June 29, 2023

Here are five ways detection of the gravitational wave background (GWB) by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) revolutionizes our understanding of the universe.

Amino Acid Slow Jams

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·June 23, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, we discuss a lunar mystery, a discovery of...

Does ChatGPT Really Want to Save Humanity, or is This a Trap?

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·June 16, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe made its closest run...

ChatGPT Just Helped Build a Food Harvesting Robot to Save Humanity

Researchers asked the AI, "what are the greatest future challenges for humanity?"

MJ Banias·June 8, 2023

Researchers used the ChatGPT AI to build a robot that picks tomatoes, in order to save humanity.

That UFO Episode

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·June 7, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify On today’s episode, former CNN and Al Jazeera news anchor and...

We Can’t Stop Here. This is Emu Country!

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·May 26, 2023

On today’s episode, scientists have released a new study concerning LSD’s positive effects on the learning process, Australia’s latest project to develop a laser gun that can stop a tank, and a preliminary study into what happens to consciousness in the human brain during death.

Saint Fetch, the Patron Robot of Lost Things

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·May 22, 2023

On today’s episode, researchers are trying to figure out how to utilize salamander cells to slow human aging, robots are being developed to aid dementia patients with finding lost items in their homes.

Now, I Am Become AI, the Destroyer of Worlds

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·May 12, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Join guest host Micah Hanks and MJ Banias this week as...

Live Long and Be Fabulous…

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·April 28, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Join Stephanie Gerk and MJ Banias this week as they discuss...

This LGBTQ+ Non-Profit is Getting The Attention of the Space Industry by Breaking Down Barriers

"Gaaays in Spaaace" is pressing for more LGBTQ+ representation in the space industry, and they are using science fiction like Star Trek to do it...

MJ Banias·April 27, 2023

LGBTQ+ non-profit "Gaaays in Spaaace" is pushing the space industry for change, and it's using science fiction like Star Trek to do it.

Strange Metals in a Strange Land…

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·April 21, 2023

SUBSCRIBE TO ‘THE DEBRIEF WEEKLY REPORT’: Apple Podcasts | Spotify Join Stephanie Gerk and MJ Banias this week as they discuss...

If an AI Could Read Your Mind, Love

MJ Banias·April 14, 2023

On this week's episode, MJ and Stephanie contemplate whether teaching AI to read minds could mean the end of humanity.

Don’t Leave your Black Hole Unattended

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·April 10, 2023

On today’s episode, researchers have created an artificial Black Hole in a lab to test out warp drive theories, scientists in Israel have discovered that plants may be trying to communicate, and the US Air Force’s new StormBreaker smart missile is now ready to launch.

Another One Bites the Alien Space Dust…

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·March 31, 2023

On today’s episode, a new report from NASA indicates Earth may have a big asteroid problem, astronomers have discovered a novel space object, and scientists out of Tokyo want to search cosmic dust for signs of alien life.

This Little Quantum Light of Mine

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...The DARPA Liberty Lifter, A Particle Accelerator Breakthrough, and Controlling the Chaos of Light

MJ Banias·March 24, 2023

Join Stephanie Gerk and MJ Banias this week as they discuss the latest news from The Debrief, including whether DARPA can make a giant double-decker airplane.

One Small Step for Man’s Garbage: Space Junk, EV Aircraft, and Monitoring Earth’s Pollution with Satellites

This week on The Debrief Weekly Report...

MJ Banias·March 17, 2023

This week on 'The Debrief Weekly Report', we look at NASA and the Italian space agency's mission to monitor pollution, and how scientists around the world want to update the space treaty to include space junk.