This week in stories we’re covering at The Debrief… previously undeciphered markings on a curious ancient Roman artifact have finally been decoded by researchers; and what they reveal is pushing back the timescales on an odd hobby from ancient history by several centuries. Elsewhere, scientists have unraveled the forces behind a “gravity hole” in Antarctica, and finally, in advance of tonight’s State of the Union address, here’s why so many people are talking about possible UFO disclosure in Trump’s presidency, and what that really means… for now.
Meanwhile, here’s a look at all the recent stories we are covering at The Debrief:
- China Advances in BCI Race with 50+ Human Implants, Real-Time Chinese Speech Decoding
A global race to develop a competitive brain-computer interface is heating up between the United States and China. - James Webb Space Telescope Discovers an 8.5-Billion-Year-Old “Jellyfish” Galaxy Never Seen by Astronomers
Astrophysicists at the University of Waterloo, using the James Webb Space Telescope, have spotted the most distant jellyfish galaxy ever observed. - New NATO- and U.S.-Backed Hypersonic Ceramic Survives 2,700 K Plasma Test That Would Melt Steel
NATO- and U.S.-backed hypersonic ceramic survives 2,700 K plasma test, revealing potential new path to reusable extreme-speed flight. - This Ancient Chinese Mind-Body Exercise Has a Major Heart Health Benefit, New Study Finds
Recent clinical trials show that baduanjin, a traditional Chinese mind-body exercise, can lower blood pressure as much as brisk walking. - Antarctica Is Approaching an “Irreversible” Tipping Point, New Study Warns
A new study reveals that Antarctica faces collapse or resilience by 2100, with irreversible ice loss possible under high-emissions scenarios. - Missing Geomagnetic Polarity Reversals Reveal the Secrets of Earth’s Ancient Past
Japanese researchers say they are closing in on the mystery of Earth’s “missing” geomagnetic polarity reversals, identifying where they believe scientists should look for evidence of their unusual absence. - NASA Fires Twin Rockets to “CT Scan” the Northern Lights and Map Hidden Auroral Currents
NASA’s GNEISS rockets deliver a CT-like 3D view of Auroral electricity, revealing hidden currents that shape space weather and satellite orbits. - Study Challenges Long-Held View That Habits Cause Compulsive Behavior
In a recent study published in Neuropsychopharmacology, researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) found that inflammation in a key decision-making region of the brain led to more deliberate behavior, rather than more compulsive actions. - Scientists Build a Zero-Gravity Microscope and Successfully Test it on the ‘Vomit Comet’
Scientists have invented a low-cost, zero-gravity microscope called FlightScope that successfully conducted experiments on the vomit comet. - “This is Antarctic Frontier Science”: The Deepest Antarctic Core Sample Ever Collected Reveals 23 Million Years of Remote Geological History
Researchers have drilled the deepest Antarctic sediment core ever, uncovering 23 million years of climate history beneath the ice sheet. - James Webb Space Telescope Maps Uranus’s Atmosphere and Auroras for the First Time
James Webb Space Telescope data have enabled researchers to map Uranus’s upper atmosphere in 3D for the first time. - Brain Imaging Reveals How Psychedelics Blend Memory With Perception
In a recent study published in Communications Biology, researchers from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Germany used high-resolution brain imaging to show that psychedelics may redirect visual processing toward memory-related regions. - Scientists Unearth a Scimitar-Crested “Hell Heron” During a Daunting Sahara Desert Expedition
A new “scimitar-crested” spinosaurid, Spinosaurus mirabilis, has been uncovered in the Sahara, marking a major new dinosaur fossil find. - ‘Fire Weather Synchronicity’ is Increasing Globally, as Climate Change Strains International Fire Fighting Resources
According to researchers, worldwide fire weather synchronicity has more than doubled over a 45-year period.