Ancient Solar Storms Played a Key Role in the Emergence of Life on Earth, New Study Suggests
New research reveals how powerful coronal mass ejections may have been essential to the rise of life on planet Earth.
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.
“The Silent Strain We See Today Could Lead to Tomorrow’s Disasters”: India’s Sinking Cities Put Millions of Lives at Risk
India’s largest cities are sinking, which may lead to a future catastrophe with millions of lives and thousands of buildings at risk.
Unexpected Earth-Sized Exoplanets Discovered in Binary Star System “Test the Limits of Planet Formation Models”
A trio of newly discovered exoplanets is defying the expectation that binary systems are hostile to planet formation, according to an international team of researchers.
Physicists Revive a 19th-Century Theory of “Cosmic Knots” to Help Untangle the Mysteries of Dark Matter and Neutrinos
A long-dismissed theory involving "cosmic knots" could help explain the origins of neutrino masses, dark matter, and other mysteries.
Elusive ‘Alfvén Waves’ Have Been Discovered in the Sun’s Corona, Ending Nearly a Century of Searching
Scientists have finally discovered theoretical torsional Alfvén waves within the Sun’s corona, concluding a decades-long search.
“Nowhere Else Could We Have Achieved This”: This Physics Experiment Aboard the ISS Could Significantly Improve Spacecraft Safety
European researchers aboard the ISS are investigating the fundamental nature of condensation to mitigate hazards to spacecraft electronics.
Striking New Fossils From a Dinosaur “Mummy Zone” Helped Solve a Mystery More Than a Century in the Making
The preserved record of “dinosaur mummies” soft tissue discovered in Wyoming is shedding new light on what these creatures truly looked like.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Has Discovered Evidence of Unexpected Chaos in the Early Universe
New James Webb Space Telescope observations indicate that early galaxies were more chaotic than previous results suggested.
When the Mind Talks Back: Revealing Study Could Finally Reveal Why Schizophrenia Patients Hear Voices
New research indicates that schizophrenia’s auditory hallucinations may result from the brain failing to recognize its inner monologue.
The Brain’s Hidden Radar: How Theta Waves Sweep the Mind to Spot the Unexpected
Brainwaves scan the cerebral cortex like a radar system to bring attention to visual anomalies, according to new MIT research.
As the Arctic Melts, a Hidden Process Beneath the Ice Could Help Fight Climate Change
While the loss of Arctic Sea ice remains an impending climate disaster, the melting may give an unexpected boost to carbon-eating algae.
“What Is the Origin of the Waves?” Scientists Hunt the Source of Mysterious Ultra-Low Frequency Gravitational Signals
Ultra-low frequency nanohertz gravitational waves emanating from pulsars may be revealing the fabric of the universe.
Quantum ‘Time Reversal’ Breakthrough Doubles the Accuracy of Optical Clocks, May Advance the Quest for Dark Matter
MIT researchers unlock a hidden effect to stabilize optical clocks, which may help advance the search for elusive phenomena like dark matter.
Anomalous Discovery in Ancient Rocks Reveals Evidence of a 4.5-Billion-Year-Old “Proto Earth”
In a rare glimpse into the earliest days of our planet, scientists have discovered remnants of the “proto Earth.”
The South Atlantic Anomaly Is Growing—ESA Satellites Reveal New Concerns Over What That Could Mean for Spacecraft
New data from the European Space Agency’s Swarm satellite constellation reveals a dynamic shift in the South Atlantic Anomaly.
“This Contradicts a Rule in Chemistry”: Unexpected Discovery Reveals ‘Impossible’ Molecular Combinations Could Exist on Saturn’s Moon Titan
Impossible molecular combinations are possible on Saturn’s moon Titan, changing our understanding the potentially life-containing body.
“A New Era in Exploring Matter’s Most Extreme Frontier”: Aftermath of the Big Bang Revealed in Quark Gluon Plasma Experiments
Pushing scientists closer than ever to understanding the Big Bang, physicists have finally measured the temperature of quark-gluon plasma.
Study Reveals Lead Exposure May Have Shaped Ancient Human Brains, Driving the Struggle Between Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals
Research reveals that ancient Homo sapiens and Neanderthals encountered unexpected levels of lead exposure, shaping how our brains evolved.
“Drilling to This Depth is Unprecedented on Mars”: How the ESA’s New Robotic Rover Will Take the Search for Alien Life to New Depths
The quest for life on Mars will go deeper than ever before as the ESA prepares to deploy the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Rover in 2028.
‘Cyberdelics’ Enable Researchers to Produce Mind-Altering VR Hallucinations that Mimic the Effects of Psychedelic Drugs
Scientists have found that immersive virtual reality may offer a way to replicate some of the psychological benefits associated with psychedelic substances, but without the use of any drugs.
A Mysterious Warp at the Edge of the Solar System May Point to the Existence of a Hidden “Planet Y”
A strange tilt in the outer reaches of the Kuiper Belt has scientists wondering if the solar system is hiding a potential “Planet Y."
Generating Younger Versions of People’s Faces, This Digital ‘Mind Hack’ Allows Adults to Retrieve Lost Memories from Childhood
Human self-perception could be the key to retrieving the hidden memories of childhood amnesia, says new research.
NASA’s Artemis Mission May Encounter the Moon’s Hidden ‘KREEP,’ Challenging Our Understanding of Its Future Landing Site
New research forces scientists to reconsider the Moon’s South Pole-Aitken basin, the landing spot for NASA’s Artemis project.
Scientists Track Over a Thousand Martian Dust Devils, Revealing Hidden Wind Patterns Across the Red Planet
Martian dust devils that have long fascinated scientists have finally been cataloged and tracked, providing unexpected new insights into the climate on Mars.
“Exotic” Discovery Revealed in New Analysis of Apollo-Era Moon Samples is “Different from Anything We Find on Earth”
After half a century, samples collected during NASA’s 1972 Apollo Moon mission are still revealing new secrets about the lunar surface.
What One Bacteria’s Survival in a High-Stress Rocket Flight Means for Humans and the Search for ET
In a boon to human space travel, new research has shown that bacteria essential to our health can survive rocket launches and microgravity.
The “Tug of War” Secretly Driving Asteroid Behavior is Revealed in New ESA Gaia Research
Researchers working with data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission have developed a new understanding of how asteroids tumble.
Holographic Ultrasound Breakthrough Enables Scientists to Unlock a New Frontier in Brain Stimulation Research
An international team of researchers has developed a novel method of repurposing ultrasound technologies to manipulate neural activity.
A Massive Blind Spot in Gravitational Wave Research Has Now Been Filled, Setting the Pace for Future Discoveries
Researchers have unveiled a new technique for detecting gravitational waves, advancing the precision limits of current instrumentation.
Is the Search for Dark Matter a Cosmic Illusion? Physicists Take Up the Controversy
An astrophysicist proposes a new model of the universe without dark matter and energy, but is his radical idea based in fact?
ESA’s Cassini Spacecraft Makes a Discovery in Enceladus Ice Jets That “Enhances the Likelihood that the Moon is Habitable”
Pushing nearer to finding extraterrestrial life, the Cassini space probe observed new organic molecules coming from Enceladus’s ocean.
Astronomers Have Detected a Vast Wave Disturbing the Structure of the Milky Way Galaxy
The source of the Milky Way's strange wobble has finally been revealed, thanks to new data from the ESA's Gaia Space Telescope.
5000-Year-Old Spanish Tomb Discovery Reveals the Surprisingly Connected World of Ancient Southwestern Europe
A 5,000-year-old Spanish tomb is offering researchers new insights into the lives of ancient people through the study of their death rituals.
A Mysterious Spectral Reading on Mars Leads Researchers to an Undiscovered Mineral that May Hint at Ancient Life
Mysterious spectral data from Mars reveals a previously unknown mineral, indicating a dynamic past capable of supporting life.
Deep Underground, the World’s Most Sensitive Dark Matter Detector is Narrowing the Hunt for Elusive ‘WIMPs’
Closing in on the nature of dark matter, experiments conducted in an underground cavern help resolve one of the leading candidates.
Evidence of Hybrid Mammoths Roaming the Ancient Americas Reveals an Evolutionary Surprise
North American mammoths interbred more often than previously believed, suggesting hybrids were surprisingly common in the past 400,000 years.
Discovery of Vast Hydrogen ‘Cosmic Bridge’ Offers New Clues to Galactic Evolution
Australian astronomers have discovered a hydrogen gas bridge linking two dwarf galaxies, offering new insights into galactic interactions.
Fatal Attraction: This Flower Mimics a Dying Creature to Lure Pollinators
New research reveals a plant that mimics the scent of injured ants to attract flies, enabling an unusual pollination strategy.
From Sunken ‘Ghost Fleets’ to Baltic Bombs, Remnants of Human Conflict Are Playing a Surprising Role in Forming New Ocean Habitats
Discarded World War munitions and shipwrecks are unexpectedly contributing to new undersea ecosystems, a pair of new studies reveal.
Supercritical Fluid: Is This The Missing Factor in Understanding Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions?
Cataclysmic events, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, may be triggered by supercritical fluids, according to researchers.
Mysterious Figurines from Sardinia’s Bronze Age Reveal an Unexpected Discovery About the Ancient World
Mysterious Bronze Age figures produced by Sardinia’s Nuraghe culture have finally had their material origins revealed.
Armenia’s Mysterious “Dragon Stones” May Point to Evidence of an Ancient Water Cult, New Study Finds
The mysterious "dragon stones” of Armenia may finally be understood as monuments venerated by ancient water cults, according to new research.
Scientists Say Strongest Black Hole Merger Ever Observed “Challenges Our Understanding of How Black Holes Form”
Gravitational wave signals from the largest cosmic collision ever seen may alter our understanding of black holes, gravity, and the universe.
Discovering Australia’s Mysterious ‘Lost’ Asteroid Impact: Ancient Glass Reveals Evidence of a Long-Hidden Event
An ancient asteroid impact in Australia is revealed in shards of glass created when the giant space rock collided with the Earth.
Hayabusa2 Asteroid Sample-Return Mission’s Next Touchdown Just Got Complicated
Hayabusa2 is now facing an unexpected challenge: the asteroid it is targeting for its next visit is much smaller than previously expected.
Genetic Links Between Humans and Bees Reveal the “Hive Mind” Behind Social Behavior
Humans and bees share genetic traits responsible for social behavior, suggesting that the basic elements of connection transcend species.
Something Deep Within the Earth is Altering Our Planet’s Gravity—and Satellite Data May Hold Clues to the Mystery
Orbital data reveals that rocks transforming deep inside the Earth may be responsible for changes to our planet’s gravitational field.
“It Is Still a Surprise”: Cosmic Winds are Defying Expectations in Neutron Star and Supermassive Black Hole Observations
The data from the NASA and ESA's XRISM has discovered unexpected disparities between two different types of cosmic winds.
“The Sun Is Slowly Waking Up”: NASA Warns That Dangerous Solar Storms Are on the Rise
NASA findings show that solar storm activity has been increasing, suggesting a longer-term deviation from standard solar cycles.
Bombarding Brain Cells with Lasers, Scientists Pinpoint the Source of Illusions, Revealing New Insights Into Schizophrenia
New research into how the brain processes illusions has bombarded mouse neurons with lasers, artificially reproducing the brain activity.