Spooky Computing: This New Magnetic Material is “Naturally Resistant” to Forces that Disrupt Quantum Computers
A new magnetic material could help to address the problem of quantum computers' susceptibility to environmental disturbances.
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.
Astronomers Identify ‘Extreme Nuclear Transients’ 100 Times More Energetic than Supernovae
Extreme nuclear transients (ENT) are an entirely new class of cosmic events, representing the most energetic explosions ever observed.
Dead Sea Scrolls Could Be Older Than Expected, New AI Model Reveals
A new AI model has revolutionized the dating of the Dead Sea Scrolls, revealing they may be older than previously thought.
Astronomers Say They “Don’t Really Understand” Why a Giant Planet Orbits This Tiny Star
A small red dwarf star, TOI-6894, is defying astronomers' expectations by having a gas giant planet in its orbit.
“Groundbreaking” James Webb Space Telescope Discoveries on WASP-121b Set “a Precedent for Future Exoplanet Studies”
James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) observations of exoplanet WASP-121b are contributing valuable clues about how the planet formed.
New Laser-Printed Ceramics Can Withstand The Extreme Challenges of Nuclear, Space, and Defense Applications
New laser-fabricated ceramics demonstrate endurance of ultra-hot temperatures common to nuclear power, jet engines, and spacecraft.
James Webb Space Telescope Data Reveals Clues to Mysterious Activity Beneath Europa’s Icy Crust
James Webb Space Telescope data indicating that Jupiter’s moon Europa is undergoing constant surface changes has found new support.
China’s Tianwen-2 Launches to Retrieve Samples from Mysterious Asteroid Kamo’oalewa
On May 28, China’s Tianwen-2 launched on a sample return mission to asteroid Kamo’oalewa, before heading out for a visit with the Comet 311P.
MIT Unveils High-Energy Sodium Fuel Cell That Could Redefine Electric Flight
A new lightweight sodium metal fuel cell could enable practical electric flight by surpassing the limits of lithium-ion batteries.
“It Sounds Impossible, but They Did It”: Students Develop New Tech to Power 3D Holograms Using Quantum Entanglement
A novel microscopic imaging technique developed by Brown University engineers captures 3D images using quantum entanglement.
Stealth Satellites? Infrared Camouflage Breakthrough Could Hide Spacecraft in Orbit from Earth-Based Sensors
New Infrared camouflage provides stealth capabilities against one of the most effective satellite detection tools.
Antarctica’s Ancient Secrets Are Being Unveiled by Novel Krypton-81 Ice-Dating Tech
Antarctic research has received a new boost thanks to a novel new technique providing new insights into how the paleoclimate changed.
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Gets Photobombed in Latest Red Planet Robotic Selfie
NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover captured a Martian dust devil in the background of a May 10 selfie taken at Witch Hazel Hill.NASA's Perseverance Rover captured images of itself alongside a distant Martian dust devil in a recent selfie from Jezero Crater.
Mysterious Cosmic Radiation is “a Very Serious Problem” for Astronauts—New Research Could Finally Reveal Its Origins
Cosmic rays' power source has long remained a mystery, yet new research may finally provide the answer to where particle streams originate.
James Webb Space Telescope Unveils New Mysteries in “Largest and Deepest” Sample of Galaxies Ever Detected
The James Webb Space Telescope yielded the largest galaxy group sample ever observed after scanning a patch of sky known as the COSMOS Web.
NASA Field Tests New Robot That Could Search Jupiter’s Moon Europa for Signs of Life
A Europa Lander prototype was just successfully field tested on Alaska's Matanuska Glacier to simulate the icy conditions of Jupiter's moon.
James Webb Space Telescope Reveals New Clues to Earthlike Mysteries on Saturn’s Moon Titan
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and the Keck II telescope have collected first-of-its-kind evidence for cloud formation on Titan.
‘Cosmic Joust’ Unfolds as Quasar Pierces Galaxy in Violent Intergalactic Duel, Leaving a Radioactive Scar
As one galaxy smashed into the other, the winner pieced its cosmic victim, leaving behind a high level of radiation in a unique observation.
Breakthrough Metamaterial Leverages Sound Waves for Touch-Free Control of Submerged Objects
A newly developed metamaterial enables sound waves to manipulate objects underwater without any need for physical contact.
Mystery Behind Unusual Markings on Mars Has Been Solved—And They Aren’t What Researchers Hoped For
Hope for flowing water on modern-day Mars appears dashed after recent work examined mysterious markings on the red planet's surface.
Hydrogen-Powered Jets Move Closer to Takeoff as RTX Breakthroughs Point to the Future of Flight
RTX engineers are pushing the limits of aviation technology, bringing hydrogen-powered technology to the aircraft industry.
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Spotted Something on Mars That Scientists Have Never Seen Before
Mars experienced an aurora in March 2024, turning the sky green, as a solar storm produced the first visible light Martian aurora on record.
Human DNA Spliced into Mice Caused Them to Grow Abnormally Large Brains, Revealing Clues to Evolution of Intelligence
Genetic scientists have spliced human DNA into mice, resulting in rodents with increased brain mass, offering new clues to human evolution.
New Milky Way Model Explores What Lies Between the Stars with Surprising Revelations
The Milky Way Galaxy's magnetic turbulence stands revealed in an innovative new computer model describing the expanse between stars.
Mapping Lunar Mysteries, NASA’s Newest Gravity Model is Redefining the Moon’s Interior
NASA’s latest gravitational data model of the Moon generated a litany of discoveries from ancient volcanoes to navigational information.
An Underwater Volcano Off the Pacific Coast Could Soon Erupt—Here’s What You Need to Know
The underwater volcano, Axial Seamount, off the coast of the Pacific Northwest is heading to eruption for the first time in a decade.
Scientists Propose Breakthrough Model for the Long-Sought ‘Theory of Everything’
A long-elusive "theory of everything" may finally be within reach as Finnish researchers unveil a new quantum theory of gravity.
Seismic Signals Hint at Presence of Liquid Water Deep Beneath the Martian Surface
Recent Martian seismic activity suggests water in the Red Planet's crust, a potential boon to long term human habitation in the future.
Transmuting Lead into Gold, CERN’s Large Hadron Collider Achieves Alchemist’s Dreams for a Fraction of a Second
CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has momentarily transformed lead into gold, the long-sought-after goal of medieval alchemists.
NASA’s Hubble Spots Runaway Black Hole Devouring a Star 600 Million Light-Years From Earth
A traveling black hole stalking the cosmos for stellar prey recently revealed itself by shredding a star in a radioactive burst.
This Edible Robot Becomes Fish Food After Completing Remote Sensing Missions
An edible robot designed by Swiss researchers is taking cues from nature, offering remote sensing with fewer environmental concerns.
Strange ‘Terrell-Penrose Effect’ Observed in Lab For the First Time, in New Confirmation of Einstein’s Special Relativity
Physicists have demonstrated the Terrell-Penrose effect, which causes an object moving close to the speed of light to warp before our eyes.
NASA’s IXPE Solves Mystery of X-Ray Emissions from Supermassive Black Hole
A supermassive black hole, blazar BL Lacertae, has finally revealed how these cosmic features generate X-rays thanks to NASA's IXPE.
Controversial Plan to Block Sunlight with Geoengineering Advanced by Shadowy UK Government Agency
Controversial geoengineering research, including a plan to block sunlight, could be just as dangerous as the climate crisis scientists warn.
James Webb Telescope Unveils Secrets of Small, Mysterious Planets That “Don’t Exist in Our Solar System.”
For the first time, astronomers have used NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to peer through the thick haze of a sub-Neptune planet’s atmosphere, offering new clues about one of the universe’s most mysterious and common types of worlds.
Breakthrough in Superconductor Research Brings Room-Temperature Dreams Closer to Reality
Superconductors are one major step closer to practical use thanks to new work from Columbia University physicists.
ESA’s Gaia Mission Unveils a Stellar Mystery, and Astronomers “Haven’t Found Anything Quite Like It Before”
The Gaia star surveyor has identified strange behavior in a group of stars rushing to escape their birthplace, unlike any others observed.
Archaeologists Unearth 2000-Year-Old Evidence of Psychedelic Use by This Enigmatic Ancient Culture
Hallucinogens proved to be one of the most powerful tools of Peru's ancient Chavín Phenomenon society for maintaining hierarchy.
Astronomers Solve 20-Year Mystery of Magnetar Flare, Revealing the Source of Our Universe’s Gold
Magnetar flares produce gold, platinum, and other heavy elements in our galaxy, says new research on a strange cosmic flash over 20 years ago.
Scientists Discover Super-Earths Are Surprisingly Common Across the Galaxy
Exoplanet super-Earths are more prevalent in the universe than earlier research predicated according to international scientists.
Astronomers Learn Something “Very Surprising” While Studying the Mysterious Asteroid Vesta
Vesta, the strange object in our solar system that has long fascinated astronomers isn't what it appears according to new research.
NASA is Firing a Hybrid Rocket into Simulated Moon Dust to Help Plan for Artemis Lunar Landings
NASA researchers at Huntsville are conducting research to ensure that landings on potentially unstable lunar surface proceed reliably.
“They Will Act as Lighthouses in Space.” China Saves Off-Course Satellites Using Gravity Slingshot After Launch Failure
China rebounded from a failed March 2024 space mission by saving two off-orbit satellites through a novel navigation technique.
Orbilander Mission Revamp Brings NASA Closer to Finding Life on Saturn’s Mysterious Moon Enceladus
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Team X is suggesting major changes to the proposed Orbilander mission to Enceladus.
2000-Year-Old Herculaneum Scrolls Scorched by Mount Vesuvius Are Being Digitally “Unrolled” with AI and X-Rays
The ancient Herculaneum scrolls' long lost writings, charred and buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, are finally coming to light.
A Green Fireball Exploded Above Australia, Shocking Residents and Raising Questions
A green fireball brighter than the full moon surprised Australians with a massive bang Monday night, leaving questions about what occurred.
MIT Develops Ultra-Thin Sensor Skin That Could Redefine Night Vision and Wearable Tech
An electronic sensor "skin" grown by MIT engineers could revolutionize next-generation night vision and autonomous vehicles.
SETI Expands the Search for Extraterrestrial Life to a Community Scientists
The SETI Institute is bringing the search for extraterrestrial life to a broader group of budding scientists with new hands-on opportunities.
Los Alamos Scientists Reveal Clever New Method of Detecting Earthquakes and Controlled Blasts
Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers have advanced a new Earthquake detection method using underwater fiber optic cables.
NASA’s TESS Spots Evaporating Planet in Death Spiral That’s Producing a Comet-Like Tail
A distant exoplanet is quickly disintegrating 140 light-years from Earth, spotted by MIT astronomers through NASA's TESS mission.