Debriefs Archives - The Debrief

Gravitational lenses, or light blurring due to gravity in galaxies, is key for discovering new galaxies in our universe.

Could a Machine Learning Algorithm Find New Gravitational Lenses and Dark Matter?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·October 7, 2022

The actual age of the galaxy as well as the total number of galaxies in our universe have perplexed scientists for decades. Thanks to space observatories like the Hubble Telescope or the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers can see further...

Study Finds Geological Layers the Likely Source of Reflective Spots on Mars, Not Water

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·October 5, 2022

Geological layers may be the source of Mars' reflective spots, instead of water ice as previously thought.

New research reveals the pure form of lonsdaleite, a space diamond that may be able to make stronger machinery.

Could This New Space Diamond Help Produce Better Machinery on Earth?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·October 3, 2022

New research has revealed a pure form of lonsdaleite, a space diamond that may be able to help produce stronger machinery here on Earth.

Soar to New Heights with Aviator Games in India

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 30, 2022

As innovations in modern robotics continue, experts say we still have a long way to go before the development of household robot servants.

Could Machine Learning Assist in Predicting Protein Folding?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 26, 2022

Using machine learning algorithms, researchers show that they can better predict and understand protein folding techniques.

Saturn’s Rings and Tilt Could Be the Result of an Ancient Missing Moon

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 23, 2022

Saturn's rings and tilt could be explained by new research suggesting a missing moon was a factor.

Could MIT’s MOXIE Device Be the Future of Oxygen Production on Mars?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 19, 2022

MOXIE, an experiment by MIT and NASA currently on board the Perseverance rover, aims to help find ways to produce oxygen in Mars' atmosphere.

Axiom Space awarded $228.5 Million Contract for Building NASA’s Next Generation of Spacesuits

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 16, 2022

NASA has announced that it has awarded Axiom Space a large contract to aid in the development of the next generation of spacesuits.

Could Microbreaks Help Relieve Employee Burnout?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 15, 2022

Looking at microbreaks, or breaks of less than 10 minutes, researchers found these breaks to be helpful in staving off burnout.

Chinese Scientists are Eyeing a Lunar Lava Tube as the Location for a Moon Base

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 13, 2022

Chinese space architects are looking at using a lava tube on the Moon as the location of its future lunar base.

Underwater Snow Beneath Europa’s Ice Sheet Could Aid the Future Europa Clipper Mission

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 12, 2022

A new study focused on underwater snow on Europa could better inform NASA's Europa Clipper mission in the years ahead.

New Zealand may become the first country to have a majority private-space company program.

In New Zealand, New Regulations Could Help Its Space Program Achieve Liftoff

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 9, 2022

Getting into the 21st-century space race, New Zealand may become the first country to have a space program that operates as a private company.

blockchain technology will advance many industries, including healthcare and finance. But there are many myths that make the technology questionable.

Debunking the Myths of Blockchain: What It Is and Isn’t

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 8, 2022

Blockchain technology will advance many industries, including healthcare and finance. But there are many myths that make the technology questionable.

A new survey in psychoactive drugs by psychiatrists suggests that new classifications are needed.

A New Survey of U.S. Psychiatrists Suggests that Some Psychoactive Drugs Need to be Reclassified by the DEA

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 7, 2022

A new survey shows a significant difference between U.S. policies on drugs versus how psychiatrists view their safety, which could eventually lead to a push for new classifications in the years ahead.

NASA’s Watts on the Moon Challenge: Seven Companies Advance to the Next Level

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 5, 2022

NASA's Watts on the Moon Challenge has reached the next level of Phase 2, as seven companies are now moving forward with innovative designs.

Could Augmented Reality Change How We Read Paper Books?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·September 2, 2022

A new augmented reality technology study recently examined how the technology may change the future of printed books and publishing.

Artemis Ascending is a VR livestream of the Artemis I launch that may change how viewers participate with new events.

“Artemis Ascending” Will Use VR to Bring Viewers to the Launchpad for NASA’s Artemis I Mission

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 27, 2022

NASA's "Artemis Ascending" is a VR live stream of the Artemis I launch that has the potential to change how viewers tune in to watch events online.

New research suggests a process to extract oxygen from the Martian atmosphere using plasma

Innovative New Method of Harvesting Oxygen on Mars Puts the Fourth State of Matter to Work

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 26, 2022

New research suggests a process to extract oxygen from the Martian atmosphere using plasma, the fourth state of matter.

Astroport Space Technologies has been awarded a new contract from NASA to help build launch and landing pads on the Moon.

A New Contract Awarded to Astroport Space Technologies Reveals a New Wave of Space Construction

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 25, 2022

Astroport Space Technologies has been awarded a new contract from NASA to help build launch and landing pads on the Moon.

New research looking into a quantum computer may reveal more about developing a quantum internet

New Discovery about Quantum Computers Could Help Speed Up the Development of the Quantum Internet

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 23, 2022

New research looks to pave the way for a quantum computers and ultimately the development of working quantum internet.

Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a new wind sensor that can help improve drone navigation.

Advanced New Wind Sensor Could Help Drones Navigate Under Extreme Weather Conditions

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 19, 2022

Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a new wind sensor that can help improve drone navigation.

A new surgical robot named MIRA could be implemented on the ISS in the near future, making remote surgery a possibility.

Could the ISS Host the First Remote Surgical Robot in Space?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 18, 2022

A new surgical robot called MIRA could be implemented on the ISS in the near future, making remote surgery a possibility.

SETI has found a pattern to the way a meteorite might fall to Earth, filling in more details about these space objects.

Meteorite Debris Patterns Could Help Reveal Their Origins, According to New Research

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 15, 2022

A recent study has found patterns in how meteorites fall to Earth, offering new details on what parts of these space objects survive reentry.

Nicolas Delsol, a researcher with the Florida Museum of Natural History, examines the tooth of the first domesticated horse found in the Americas.

DNA Study Confirms Evidence of the Oldest Domesticated Horse in America

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 13, 2022

The recent fossil discovery of a domesticated horse tooth is expanding our knowledge of the history of the early Americas.

A new study from University College London looked at how a smartphone could improve memory as a way to store extra information.

Research Suggests Smartphones Could Help Improve Your Memory, But There’s a Catch

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 12, 2022

A new study from University College London looked at how a smartphone could improve memory as a way to store extra information.

How Liquid Water is Stored on Exoplanets Could Shed More Light on Extraterrestrial Life

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 11, 2022

New research reveals more about the atmospheric conditions needed to find liquid water, which may help in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Habitable Zone Super-Earth Found Just 37 Light Years Away

Christopher Plain·August 9, 2022

Japanese researchers say they have spotted a “super-earth” exoplanet orbiting within the star's habitable zone a mere 37 light years away.

In the Hunt for Technosignatures, Researchers Now Say to Add Searches For Urban Lights on Alien Worlds

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 9, 2022

In the search for intelligent alien life, a research team now suggests looking for technosignatures that include urban lights on distant worlds.

Research from several institutions in Canada have found that beer waste can be used to make quantum dots, devices used in medicine, electronics, and other applications.

New Study Suggests that Quantum Dots Could be Made Out of Beer Waste

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 9, 2022

Research out of Canada has found beer waste can be used to make quantum dots, devices used in medicine, electronics, and other applications.

New research looking at swarming lasers could change our definition of sentience.

This Awesome System of “Living” Lasers Displays Swarm Behavior

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 8, 2022

From guns to lightsabers, lasers have been powerful forces in the world of science fiction. But in reality, lasers have uses very different from the kinds of futuristic weaponry of fiction, assisting in medical procedures, a range of electronic devices,...

In a ‘Shocking’ New Discovery, Scientists Say They Have Solved a Lightning Mystery

Christopher Plain·August 5, 2022

Scientists say they have solved a long-standing mystery why lightning strikes over land are more frequent and often stronger than over sea.

Russia’s Withdrawal from the ISS May Quicken the Arrival of Future Private Space Stations

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 5, 2022

Russia's withdrawal from the ISS could cause a lot of future problems, and hints at trends toward private space stations.

Dark Matter Mystery Comes Into Focus With New Mapping of Distant Galaxies

Micah Hanks·August 3, 2022

For the first time, scientists have mapped the dark matter around distant galaxies in a cosmological analysis that studies high redshift galaxies, according to new research.

This Curvy Quantum Physics Discovery Could Revolutionize Our Understanding of Reality

Christopher Plain·August 3, 2022

A recent discovery in the field of quantum physics by researchers at Purdue University has opened the doorway to a whole new way of looking at our physical reality.

Pfizer Will Use Virtual Reality to Help Build its Innovative New Sterile Injectables Plant

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·August 1, 2022

With the help of virtual reality (VR) technologies, Pfizer is creating a "virtual factory" that will harness digital twin technology.

Physicists Discover Strange New Phase of Matter in Experiment With Quantum Computers

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 29, 2022

Physicists have created a newly seen phase of matter with two possible time dimensions by beaming a laser pulse into a quantum computer.

New research looking at unwanted thoughts reveals methods of how we control these thoughts.

Don’t Think About It: How Does Our Brain Control Unwanted Thoughts?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 29, 2022

New research addressing how people cope with unwanted thoughts has revealed new strategies that may help us control the way we think.

Strange Science: The Crazy Things Researchers Have Done in the Name of Science

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 28, 2022

Researchers in the past have been more than willing to do strange things in the name of science, often with very questionable results.

A new hackathon has been released in collaboration between the USSF and Air Force as part of the BRAVO series to try and create new technology.

Could a Hackathon Series Help Advance the Military’s Technology?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 28, 2022

A new hackathon has been announced in collaboration between the USSF and USAF as part of the BRAVO series of collaborative events.

DeepMind Researchers Say Their AI Can Learn Physics With Help From Optical Illusions

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 27, 2022

Researchers with DeepMind have succeeded in teaching an AI system fundamental ideas in physics using videos of optical illusions.

Recent media articles have hinted that a moon take-over could be possible for either China or the U.S.

Feud Between NASA and China Reveals the Difficulties of a Moon Takeover

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 26, 2022

Recently, speculation has been rife that either China or the U.S. may have aspirations to attempt a moon take-over.

This Magnetic Material Seems to Bend the Laws of Physics by Freezing at Hotter Temperatures

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 25, 2022

A magnetic material seems to freeze and become stronger at warmer temperatures. Physicists believe they may understand why.

Artemis-I: NASA Has Its Eyes on the Moon as it Preps For Future Mars Missions

Christopher Plain·July 22, 2022

NASA's Artemis-I mission has set a trio of possible dates for the space agency's first official launch to the Moon in 50 years.

New research suggests that hearing noises in our dreams may be more common than expected.

Hearing Noises During your Dreams Might be Normal, According to New Research

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 22, 2022

New research suggests that hearing noises while we dream could be far more common than scientists once expected.

Mysterious “String” Spotted by Mars Rover Suddenly Disappears

Christopher Plain·July 21, 2022

A piece of string-like material photographed on Mars by the Perseverance Rover just last week has suddenly disappeared.

The Psyche asteroid could be a protoplanet, according to new research from NASA

Upcoming Psyche Mission Could Help Determine if Asteroid is Actually a Protoplanet

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 20, 2022

NASA's Psyche mission scheduled for later this year may be able to determine whether a curious asteroid is in fact a protoplanet.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota discovered a new dinosaur, Meraxes gigas, which also had a big head and tiny arms.

A Newly Discovered Dinosaur Could Explain the Advantage of Having Tiny Arms

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 19, 2022

Researchers have discovered a new dinosaur, Meraxes gigas, that may help answer the question of why some large dinosaurs had tiny arms.

Researchers studied a molecule called inosine which may trigger the brown fat cell-burning process

Could Inosine be the Miracle Cure for Weight Loss?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 19, 2022

Researchers say a molecule called inosine may trigger the brown fat cell-burning process in a new study that could revolutionize weight loss.

Researchers have found that the surface of Bennu is getting rockier due to an erosion of space dust.

Space Dust Gives Asteroids a Rough Appearance, Latest Studies of Asteroid Bennu Show

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 18, 2022

Asteroids provide an extremely important resource for astronomers, which includes the way they help to unravel clues about planetary origins. During past impact events, these space rocks have also helped shape the surfaces of the Earth and Moon, and have...

Artificial blood may be the solution to the large blood shortage crisis happening across the U.S.

Could Artificial Blood Actually Help with the Blood Shortage Crisis?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·July 15, 2022

Artificial blood is a novel potential solution to the current blood shortage crisis occurring across the U.S.