Diverse types of organic molecules have been found on Mars by a Nasa rover. The material was detected by the Perseverance rover in the Jezero Crater on Mars, scientists said. Researchers are unable to rule out that the materials have a “biotic” origin, or are the result of life on the planet. But they might also be formed in other ways, such as interactions between water and dust or having been dropped onto the planet by dust or meteors. The findings suggest that Mars may have had a far more active past than we realised – and could have significant implications for the search for alien life. According to the study, understanding more about Martian organic matter could shed light on the availability of carbon sources, with implications for the search for potential signs of life. The Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (Sherloc) instrument on the rover is the first tool to enable fine-scale mapping and analysis of organic molecules and minerals on Mars. Perseverance landed within the Jezero crater, the site of an ancient lake basin with high potential for past habitability, in February 2021. Since then scientists have been exploring the geological make-up of the crater floor using a suite of tools on board the rover that can take pictures of and analyse the rocks. Sunanda Sharma, Ryan Roppel and their colleagues analysed observations from two formations on the Jezero crater floor. Signals of organic molecules were detected on all 10 targets that Sherloc observed in the Jezero crater floor, concentrated in the Maaz formation, more than in the Seitah formation. The data showed diverse mineral association and spatial distribution that may be unique to each formation. The researchers suggest the diversity among these observations may provide insight into different ways that organic matter may have originated: potentially through deposition by water, or in combination with volcanic materials. Writing in the Nature journal, the authors said: “Our findings suggest there may be a diversity of aromatic molecules prevalent on the Martian surface, and these materials persist despite exposure to surface conditions. “These potential organic molecules are largely found within minerals linked to aqueous processes, indicating that these processes may have had a key role in organic synthesis, transport or preservation.” The findings are published in a new article, ‘Diverse organic-mineral associations in Jezero crater, Mars’, in Nature today. Additional reporting by Press Association Read More Nasa to begin Moon mining within next decade Microsoft’s attempt to buy Call of Duty developer reaches huge new development Elon Musk posts series of explicit tweets about Mark Zuckerberg Microsoft’s attempt to buy Call of Duty developer reaches huge new development Elon Musk posts series of explicit tweets about Mark Zuckerberg Scientists invent cloak inspired by Roman god that could help us live on Mars

A TikToker has revealed a sign someone in your life "secretly hates you", and it is quite random. Posting on the platform, Jaci Marie Smith said asking people if you should cut your long hair short is a sure way to find out if they have your best interests at heart. “If they’re like ‘yes…chop it, it would look so good on you,’ they hate you,” she claimed. “They’re praying on your downfall.” She added that if you want to test the theory further, you should ask your friend whether or not you should get bangs. “If they say yes, you need to cut them out of your life.” @jacimariesmith I’m telling u Her video attracted mixed opinions. Some agreed with her. "ACCURATE," one said. "This is so true," said another. But others thought she was overthinking it. "This is so not true!" one said. "Some people look so good with short hair and bangs!" Another said: "But I genuinely love short hair." Luckily for those with short hair and bangs, the TikToker clarified in the comments that she was just joking. Thank goodness for that... Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Damian Lillard has requested a trade with his two preferred destinations reportedly being the Nets and Heat. What kind of offers can they make?According to Shams Charania and others, Damian Lillard has requested a trade from the Portland Trail Blazers.According to Chris Haynes, his two prefe...

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Rishi Sunak seemingly confirmed he's a Swiftie after a woman claimed he turned up to a Taylor Swift-themed SoulCycle class in LA. The prime minister is currently on holiday with his family in California, where he's been snapped at Santa Monica Pier and Disneyland and has since been spotted at an early morning spin class. In the viral TikTok, Hannah Harmelin (@hannahharmelin) described how she had "the biggest heart attack of [her] life," when she saw security "everywhere" inside the studio. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter "So I walk into my Taylor Swift-themed 7 am SoulCycle class in Santa Monica, and there's Secret Service everywhere in the studio, they're lined up on the sidewalk, they're inside, they're in every corner," she explained. "They're like, standing there with their earpieces, and they're all serious and there's just security everywhere. "I'm like, 'What is going on?'" Harmelin thought all of the security may have been for Swift herself, after all she is currently in LA with her Eras Tour. "She's performing in LA, celebrities do this all the time," the TikToker noted. @hannahharmelin Soulcycle in LA be like #taylorswift #taylorswiftsoulcycle #LA #erastour #soulcycle #celebrities #omg #lol #fyp "So we get in, and I'm like trying to look around but trying to play it cool, and the security guard comes into the class, there's actually like three of them standing in all the corners, and they stand there like all serious the whole entire class. "And the teachers usually like turn on and off the lights, in this class she just like kept the lights off, it was very private. "And of course you've heard of like Justin Bieber coming in and singing a song and like Beyoncé and Jay-Z like riding class. "So I'm freaking out the whole time. "So the class ends, and I'm looking around trying to see where she is. "Turns out it was the prime minister of the UK - apparently he's a Swiftie." Since sharing the random encounter, Harmelin's video has received 1.2m views, 152,000 likes and thousands of comments from people who were surprised to find out Sunak appears to be a Swiftie. One person said: "Rishi Sunak is a Swiftie? What is he doing in LA" "Today I learned Rishi Sunak is a soul cycle girlie," another person wrote. Someone else added: "Meanwhile back home the UK is absolutely falling apart, nice." "What this is so random," a fourth person commented. Sunak isn't the first Swiftie prime minister, as his predecessor Liz Truss expressed her love for Swift's music. Meanwhile, the prime minister's wife Akshata Murty attended a SoulCycle spin class with US first lady Jill Biden the day after the King's coronation back in May. A Number 10 spokesman told the PA news agency they will not be providing a running commentary on the Prime Minister’s holiday. indy100 has contacted Downing Street for comment. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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