Microbes Found Colonizing Fresh Lava May Offer Clues to Life on Mars, Scientists Say
Scientists studying volcanic eruptions in Iceland say microbes begin colonizing new lava flows faster and more predictably than once thought.
Ryan Whalen
Ryan Whalen covers science and technology for The Debrief. He holds an MA in History and a Master of Library and Information Science with a certificate in Data Science. He can be contacted at ryan@thedebrief.org, and follow him on Twitter @mdntwvlf.
“This Will Be a New Chapter in Quantum Physics”: Odd Quasiparticles May Explain a Pair of Quantum Experiments That Baffled Scientists
Scientists may have finally unlocked the unusual role quasiparticles known as "anyons" play in a pair of quantum experiments that left them baffled.
James Webb Space Telescope Spies Two Cosmic Dwarves Engaged in a Gravitational Dance
The James Webb Space Telescope has observed the dwarf galaxies NGC 4490 and NGC 4485 engaged in a gravitational dance.
“This is a New Phenomenon”: Massive Collisions Occurring Around Fomalhaut Are Challenging Models of Planet Formation
Planet-forming collisions were once thought to be rare—new observations suggest they may occur far more often than scientists expected.
A Robot Vanished, Then Mysteriously Reappeared Near Antarctica—Now Researchers Reveal What It Discovered While It Was Missing
A rogue Argo oceanographic float drifted away to accidentally collect data on one of Antarctica’s most inaccessible regions.
A ‘Lost’ Tale of the Trojan War Was Hidden in Plain Sight—This Ancient Mosaic Held the Clues to Its Discovery
Archaeologists have revealed that a Roman-era Trojan War mosaic discovered in Britain in 2020 has long been misinterpreted.
Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Egyptian ‘Sun Temple’ Cult Site, Confirming Century-Old Speculations
An enormous ancient Egyptian sun temple from the Fifth Dynasty has been excavated by an Italian archaeological team.
“No Longer a Futuristic Concept”: Scientists Build Real-World Magnetic Cloaking Device Capable of Shielding Complex Shapes
Researchers have unveiled a new magnetic cloaking device that can render sensitive objects invisible to detection.
“What the Heck is This?”: Astronomers Can’t Explain this Exoplanet’s Bizarre Diamond-Forming Atmosphere
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has now observed an oddly shaped exoplanet with an unexplaiable atmosphere.
Inside These Fossils, Scientists Found First-of-Its-Kind Evidence of Unexpected Ancient Architects
The strange bee's nest discovered in bone fossils on Hispaniola is a first-of-its-kind discovery that highlights nature’s creativity.
“To See It with This Clarity is Amazing”: Parker Solar Probe’s Closest-Ever Images Reshape Scientists’ Understanding of Solar Storms
Solar magnetic field images captured by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe last year have provided new insight into dangerous space weather.
“The Model That We Started Off With is Wrong”: Astronomers Say These Odd Blue ‘Optical Transients’ Aren’t What We Thought They Were
New research reveals unusual cosmic bursts known as 'luminous fast blue optical transients' aren't what astronomers initially suspected.
Neptune and Uranus, the Solar System’s ‘Ice Giants,’ May Not Be So Icy After All, New Models Reveal
Our fundamental understanding of Neptune and Uranus may be completely wrong, say researchers rethinking our solar system.
Bermuda Mystery Surfaces with Discovery of Massive Underground Structure, Revealing a New Deep-Earth Anomaly
The Bermuda Triangle may not hold up to scrutiny, but geologists have discovered a true anomaly hidden deep below the archipelago.
“This is a Real Gift for Physicists”: A Black Hole Just Twisted Spacetime—and Proved Einstein Right Again
An elusive effect first envisioned by Einstein has been observed by scientists, once again vindicating the famed physicist's Theory of General Relativity.
7000-Year-Old Sunken Discovery Points to European Megalithic Construction Centuries Earlier Than Previously Thought
Off the western coast of France, archaeologists have discovered a sunken granite Mesolithic wall nine meters below sea level.
“No One Has Considered These Systems the Way We Did”: The Magnetic Power that Created ‘Impossible’ Black Holes
New black hole research from the Flatiron Institute rethinks their formation under the influence of magnetic fields.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Has Discovered an ‘Impossible’ Atmosphere Around a Magma-Covered World
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has detected the best evidence ever recorded for an atmosphere on a rocky exoplanet.
Elusive Neutrinos Transform Carbon Into Nitrogen in Never-Before-Seen Interaction
Scientists reveal mysterious “ghost particles” known as neutrinos have been observed interacting with matter in a new way for the first time.
“It Does Not Fit Into Any of Our Existing Models”: The Longest Gamma-Ray Burst Ever Seen is Upending Our Ideas on High-Energy Cosmic Events
The longest gamma-ray burst ever observed has UNC Chapel Hill astronomers questioning the very nature of these cosmic explosions.
“Cosmology as We Know It May Be Broken”: New Confirmation of the Hubble Tension Challenges Existing Models
New measurements by astronomers have strengthened the Hubble tension, involving discrepancies between the expansion rate of the universe.
X-Ray Data Reveals Powerful ‘UFO’ Winds Generated in Record-Breaking Black Hole Event
Record-breaking ultrafast outflow (UFO) winds from a supermassive black hole flung matter across the universe close to the speed of light.
Is TRAPPIST-1e Really Habitable? New Study Suggests This Promising Candidate for Life May Be Something Else Entirely
TRAPPIST-1e may be the long-sought-after habitable, Earth-like exoplanet astronomers have been looking for in the search for ET.
“We Need to Rethink What’s Possible:” This “Fire Amoeba” Proves Complex Life Can Survive New Extremes
Scientists have discovered a “fire amoeba” capable of surviving temperatures typically impossible for complex life.
James Webb Space Telescope Discovery Reveals the Milky Way Has a Distant Twin That Shouldn’t Exist
New James Webb Space Telescope observations have revealed a galaxy that shouldn’t exist, a complex spiral galaxy named Alaknanda.
A Razor Thin Spinning Filament of Galaxies and Dark Matter Provides New Insights Into Galactic Evolution
A razor-thin cosmic filament is one of the largest rotating structures ever found, with implications for early galaxy formation.
The Oldest Known Eclipse Record is Shedding Light on Early Celestial Mysteries, Revealing the Location of a Misplaced Ancient Chinese City
Using ancient Chinese eclipse records, scientists have calculated the Earth’s variable rotational speed back to the year 709 BCE.
Martian Colonies Could Be Built by Living Microbes That Produce Concrete Under Extreme Conditions, Scientists Say
Future Mars astronauts may use microbial life to produce the building materials for a permanent human colony on the Red Planet.
A Mysterious Ring of Ancient Pits Near Stonehenge Provides New Clues About Life in Neolithic Britain
Archaeologists say they have solved the riddle of a mysterious hidden ring of pits discovered near Stonehenge.
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Hears the Crack of Martian Lightning, Providing the First Glimpse into the Red Planet’s Atmospheric Electricity
New evidence of electrical phenomena in the Martian atmosphere could expand our understanding of the Red Planet's chemistry, climate, and habitability.
Scholars Investigated 13th-Century Texts for Clues to India’s Environmental Past—What They Found Was Unexpected
India’s tales from long ago are helping scholars piece together the flora and foliage that once covered the country’s present-day savannas.
The Hidden Oceans of Saturn and Jupiter’s Icy Moons May Have Shaped Their Surface Features, Study Reveals
New research now shows how icy moons hidden subsurface oceans may have driven their geological development.
“No One Has Really Gone Back and Looked at What the Bones Themselves Say”: New Research is Shedding Light on an Ancient Sea Monster
Ohio’s ancient sea monster, the Dunkleosteus terrelli, stands revealed in new clarity after a recent study.
Psychologists Report that Just Seeing Batman is Enough to Drive Prosocial Behaviors
Seeing Batman inspires us, say psychologists whose new research suggests that it increases people's propensity toward prosocial behaviors.
NASA’s Voyager 1 Probe Will Reach One ‘Light Day’ from Earth Next Year, Marking Humanity’s Deepest Foray into the Cosmos
NASA’s Voyager 1 space probe will continue its almost half-century of service by delivering yet another milestone.
NASA’s Fermi Gamma-Ray Telescope Detects Possible First Direct Evidence of Dark Matter
NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope may have detected the first direct evidence for dark matter, according to new research.
An Ancient Celtic Skull Discovered in Spain Reveals a Tale of Brutal Roman Intimidation Tactics
Roman soldiers decapitated an enemy and placed his skull on the wall of their fort, to be found 2,000 years later by archaeologists.
Scientists Revisiting the ‘Faraday Effect’ Have Uncovered a Surprising Magnetic Interaction Between Light and Matter
New research reveals light's magnetic field directly influences matter, causing scientists to rethink the 'Faraday Effect.'
X-Ray Imaging Uncovers Hidden Structures in Liquid-Metal-Grown Crystals
The delicate internal structure of platinum crystals growing in liquid metal has been revealed, according to new research employing a powerful X-ray technique.
“There’s an Operating System that Exists, that Emerges in a Primordial State”: New Research Reveals Our Brain’s “Preset” Conditions
New models show that our brains are "pre-wired," and that electrical activity begins even before any external experiences occur.
Scientists Reveal How Severely a Geomagnetic Superstorm Erodes Earth’s Protection from Dangerous Space Radiation
Researchers have now measured how violent space weather events called geomagnetic superstorms disrupt the Earth’s protective plasmasphere.
James Webb Space Telescope Captures Stunning Images of “Repetitive, Predictable Structures” in a Rare Star System
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured the first-ever image of four dust spirals surrounding the Wolf-Rayet stars in the Apep system.
The Origins of Theia, the Cosmic Impactor that Violently Birthed the Moon, Has Finally Been Revealed
New research reveals that Theia, the colossal, Mars-sized impactor that collided with the Earth to birth our Moon, may have come from the direction of the Sun.
A Strange Rock Discovered on the Martian Surface May Be a Visitor From Outer Space
3I/Atlas isn’t the only unusual space rock to be spotted recently, as NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover has spotted a possible meteorite.
Mysterious Magnetic Fossils Left Behind by An Unknown Ancient Creature Offer Clues to the Origins of Nature’s “Sixth Sense”
Ninety-seven-million-year-old magnetic fossils, left behind in sea beds by an unknown creature, may have been a biological GPS.
Astronomers Have Observed the First Coronal Mass Ejection Outside Of Our Solar System, Spelling Bad News for Exoplanet Habitability
For the first time, astronomers have spotted a coronal mass ejection exploding from a star other than our Sun.
Forget Drop Bears, Ancient Australia’s Real Life “Drop Croc” Ambushed Its Prey from Above
Australia may be known for its tourist myth of the drop bear, but researchers have now uncovered the remains of a real-life “drop croc.”
Scientists Confirm Discovery of Massive Crater in China, Revealing Scale of Ancient Impacts Was “Far Greater than Previously Recorded”
A recently discovered impact crater in China is among the best-preserved ever found, offering insight into how space rocks shaped our planet.
“Our Current Models Are Being Put to the Test”: Researchers Say Our Solar System is Moving Impossibly Fast
Our solar system appears to be breaking the cosmic speed limit, casting fresh doubt on the Standard Model of Cosmology.
“Practical Large-Scale Quantum Computation” Could Be on the Horizon as Researchers Solve Problematic Error Rate
The long-standing issue holding back quantum computing, its high propensity for errors, may finally be in the past.