Physicists Tried Cutting a Photon in Half—Then Things Got Really Weird
What would happen if you tried to cut an elementary particle like a photon into smaller pieces? New research suggests it could get very weird.
physics
Scientists Reveal a Bizarre Space-Time Structural Phenomenon That Could Be Creating Baby Black Holes
The space-time oddities of modern physics may have just been taken to a new level of odd, as...
“Perpetual Motion is Possible in the Quantum Realm”: Researchers Link a ‘Time Crystal’ to an External Device in a Breakthrough First
In a new physics milestone, scientists report that a “time crystal” and an external system have been successfully linked for the first time.
A “Transdimensional” Anomalous Hall Effect Has Been Observed for the First Time—Here’s What That Could Mean
Scientists report the discovery of a "transdimensional anomalous Hall effect" revealing an unusual behavior in a new kind of layered graphene.
Welcome to the World’s Largest Controlled-Explosions Lab
Scientists at Texas A&M University have unveiled the Detonation Research Test Facility, the largest academic controlled-explosions lab ever built.
Time Mysteries, Radio Signals from Beneath Antarctica, and the Recovery of a “Lost” Ancient Manuscript
This week, time could hold the key to resolving quantum mysteries, researchers have determined the source of strange radio signals emanating from beneath Antarctica, and more.
Deep Below Antarctica, Mysterious Radio Signals From the Icy Depths Point to Evidence of a Rare Phenomenon
A detector deep beneath the frozen southern continent has obtained first evidence of a rare cosmic phenomenon.
Mystery of Time Deepens as “Strange Physics” Study Reveals New Links to Gravity and the Quantum World
New research suggests time could hold the key to resolving mysteries of gravity, quantum mechanics, and other phenomena in modern physics.
Webb Telescope Makes an Odd Discovery, Mysterious Light Vortices, and Serpent Mound’s Mystery Deepens
This week, the Webb Telescope is peering at 3I/ATLAS, ligth wave vortices are breaking the universal speed limit, and an iconic American archaeology site's mystery is deepening.
NASA Issues an Artemis Update, a Teleportation Breakthrough, and Tardigrades in Martian Soil
This week, as NASA announces massive changes to its Artemis program, quantum teleportation, tardigrades, and space science are also making the news.
Levitation Defying Newton’s Laws, an Octopus-Inspired “Smart Skin,” and a Mysterious Structure Spotted on Venus
This week, science discoveries include a new type of levitating "time crystal," an octopus-inspired "smart skin," and a mysterious structure on Venus.
These Remarkable New Levitating ‘Time Crystals’ Appear to Defy One of Newton’s Most Famous Laws
Researchers report the first observation of a new type of time crystal that seemingly defies Newton's Third Law of Motion.
Physicists Have Achieved Quantum “Alchemy” by Exciting Electrons to High-Energy States
Researchers have achieved quantum "alchemy" that allows them to alter the properties of materials using high-powered electrons.
Double-Slit Experiment Challenges Einstein, Communication with Light, and a Baffling Paradox
This week in news from The Debrief, new research resolving a century-old debate surrounding the double-slit experiment, communication with light, and more are featured.
Space, Archaeology, Consciousness, and the Science of Tomorrow: The Top Science Stories of 2025
2025 has been an exceptional year for discoveries, and we here at The Debrief have kept a watchful eye throughout the last twelve months as several major scientific discoveries and important technological achievements have occurred throughout the year.
This YouTube Creator Built a Camera That Shows You Don’t Need a Major Lab to Film Light in Motion
A YouTube creator working out of his garage has engineered something that is normally found only in major research facilities: a camera capable of filming a laser beam moving at the speed of light.
Beyond the Standard Model: Here Are the Top Mind-Bending Physics Stories from 2025
Taking a look back over the last twelve months, here are several of the biggest science stories in physics this year, as well as a few of our favorite mind-bending science stories from 2025.
A New “Cloaking Device” is Unveiled, Ancient Technology Emerges, and the Space Force’s New ‘Ghosts, Gods, and Monsters’
This week in our top stories, researchers unveil a novel "cloaking device" that can shield complex objects from detection, and more.
Universal Consciousness Before the Big Bang, the Launch of “UAlbany Project X”, and Extremophile Survival in Space
In news this week from The Debrief, scientists are looking at the idea of pre-Big Bang "universal consciousness," extreme organism survival in space, and the launch of a cutting-edge new UAP research initiative.
Historic Collaboration Suggests “Ghost Particles” Could Explain All of Existence
New research reveals how ghost particles may break the universe’s symmetry, offering clues to why matter—and life—exist at all.
A New Object Lurking Near the Sun, Altering Matter with Light, and a Levitation Breakthrough
This week in stories from The Debrief, a team of physicists is using light to alter the magnetic nature of matter at room temperature, along with other innovations in science and technology.
DARPA’s Strange Physics, ‘Seeds of Life’ in Space, and Massive Ancient Megastructures
This week in news from The Debrief, DARPA is pursuing strange physics, and NASA's James Webb Space Telescope makes a major discovery.
Deep Underground, a Gigantic Sphere is Accelerating the Quest for Mysterious ‘Ghost Particles’
With JUNO’s official launch, a new era of neutrino experiments is about to take shape within the facility's gigantic spherical observatory.
A ‘Giant’ Manifestation of a Long-Puzzling Magnetic Mystery Has Been Observed For the First Time
A very large occurrence of the "anomalous Hall effect," a long-studied magnetic mystery, has been recorded by scientists in Japan.
Scientists May Have Cracked the Code for Creating ‘Flying’ Space-Time Hopfion Crystals
Scientists develop a means of creating 'hopfion' crystals, complex, knot-like patterns of light that repeat across both space and time.
What Came Before the Big Bang? New Study Says ‘Numerical Relativity’ Could Unlock Cosmology’s Biggest Mysteries
New research suggests numerical relativity, a computational approach to the Einstein's equations, could resolve some of cosmology's greatest questions.
The Search for a ‘Theory of Everything,’ Levitation Using Sunlight, and Death Valley’s Mysterious Moving Stones
Physicists moving closer than ever to a 'Theory of Everything' and other science stories involving cosmology, robotics, and environmental mysteries are trending this week at The Debrief.
Could Mysterious New Shapes and ‘Positive Geometry’ Help Researchers Discover a “Theory of Everything”?
A new study explores how positive geometry could unify quantum physics and cosmology, offering a path toward a Theory of Everything.
Scientists Are Still Perplexed by Quantum Physics and Can’t Agree on Its True Meaning, Landmark Survey Finds
Quantum mechanics remains mysterious as it turns 100, and a landmark survey reveals physicists are still sharply divided over its meaning.
An Unknown ‘Fifth Force’ May Explain a Baffling Physics Mystery—These Researchers Have a Bold New Plan to Uncover It
Physicists at ETH Zurich in Switzerland have a novel plan to uncover an unknown fifth force of nature long theorized to exist.
Gravitational-Wave Rockets: Could Black Hole Mergers Power Space Travel?
Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb discusses the hypothetical use of highly energetic events as a way to produce "gravitational-wave rockets."
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.
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.
Physicists Have Unlocked the Secret to the Perfect Cup of Coffee, While Using Fewer Beans
Getting the perfect cup of coffee as part of your morning ritual may have just gotten easier, thanks to the power of fluid dynamics.
Einstein’s Unified Field Theory Realized? New Theory Unites Electromagnetism and Gravity Through Geometry
Researchers say they may have achieved Einstein's vision of a "unified field theory" that can unite two of nature's fundamental forces.
“Quantum-Level Perspective” of Subatomic Particle Sprays Are Revealing New Quantum Secrets
Physicists studied proton interactions at the Large Hadron Collider to see if they could find quantum entanglement as a result.
“This is Something We Did Not See Coming.” New Physics from Odd Shapes Predicts what Appears as Random Motion
Basic physics quickly gets messy in an irregular world, scientists discover in new research on the old problem of a ball rolling downhill.
Physicists Use Optical Vortex Beams to Control Ionization for the First Time
Physicists at the University of Ottawa add an orbital spin to their laser beams to control the movement of electrons in their setup.
Laser Light Transformed Into a Supersolid in Groundbreaking Experiment
Physicists have transformed laser light into a supersolid, marking an entirely new process for achieving this mysterious state of matter.
Primordial Black Holes: Could Dark Matter Hold a Deadly Secret?
Is it possible that dark matter, which makes up 85% of the cosmic matter budget, is simply a collection of primordial black holes?
Scientists Solve Centuries-Old Mystery of Why Hot Droplets Rebound Off Cool Surfaces
Scientists say hot droplets on cool surfaces show properties similar to the Leidenfrost effect, potentially advancing fire proof materials.
Scientists Have Discovered a New Method of Tracking Mysterious “Dark Excitons”
An international research team has made a discovery that reveals a new method to track the behavior of "dark excitons."
From Westeros to Physics: George R. R. Martin’s ‘Wild Cards’ Alien Virus Explored Through Science
A recent study explores the physics behind George R. R. Martin's "Wild Cards" alien virus, blending science with science fiction.
Hubble Tension Controversy “Now Turns into a Crisis” as New Discovery Challenges Current Models
Controversial new findings have reignited the longstanding cosmological quarrel involving what astronomers call the "Hubble tension."
Time Travel Paradoxes Solved? New Study Shows How Quantum Mechanics Prevents Changing the Past
New research provides a solution to time travel paradoxes by demonstrating that quantum mechanics prevents one from ever changing the past.
Do Faster-than-Light Particles Exist? Tachyons, Black Holes, and the Limits of Faster-Than-Light Physics
Are there particles that can move faster than light? Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb explores this question and the mysterious role of hypothetical particles known as tachyons.
Researchers Unlock Fusion Mysteries with Novel Plasma Modeling, Propelling Nuclear Fusion Closer to Reality
Researchers say recent advancements with inertial confinement fusion bring us one step closer to making accessible nuclear fusion a reality.
Advancement in Quantum Memory Brings Us One Step Closer to Large-Scale Quantum Networks
Researchers have demonstrated a new method for storing and retrieving quantum information, marking a leap forward for quantum memory.
Physicists Baffled by Odd Quasiparticle That Seems to Have No Mass—Until It Changes Direction
Scientists have observed a quasiparticle that exhibits a very odd behavior: it appears to have mass, but only while moving in one direction.
Researchers Uncover New Class of Magnetism That Could Revolutionize Digital Devices
Researchers say they've discovered a new class of magnetism called "Altermagnetism," which could revolutionize digital devices.