Tech
Mars rock discovery makes strongest case for past life, scientists reveal
A Mars rock sample collected last summer shows chemical fingerprints that might be traces of past microbe activity, though non-biological explanations are still possible, according to NASA.
The Perseverance rover found the rock in July 2024. The drilled sample, nicknamed Sapphire Canyon, is now the strongest clue scientists have that life once existed on ancient Mars, according to the U.S. space agency.
NASA held a news conference Wednesday to announce that the rover's findings have since passed peer review in the journal Nature, a key step in the scientific process to ensure the evidence is solid. Associate administrator Nicky Fox emphasized that the sample does not contain life itself but a fossilized remnant that suggests life had possibly been there.
"It's kind of the equivalent of seeing … leftovers from a meal, and maybe that meal has been excreted by a microbe," she said.
But whether this possible sign of life will ever be confirmed remains to be seen. Right now the sample is still on Mars, and it's unclear whether a NASA mission will ever bring it back to Earth for further analysis, crucial for getting to the point of certainty. In January, before President Donald Trump took office, NASA officials said they were working on two potential new approaches for Mars Sample Return that could cut costs. The decision for how to proceed would ultimately fall on the Trump administration, whose budget request calls for cancellation of this mission.
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, who Trump tapped to lead the agency two months ago, seemed disconcerted by the series of questions from reporters focusing on the mission and its funding rather than the research, which was announced last year.
"We got some of the brightest people at NASA with us," Duffy said during the event. "I was hoping your questions were going to be more on this exciting news that we have today."
Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech
The sample, taken from a rock called Cheyava Falls, is one of 27 rock cores the rover has collected in tubes since landing on the Red Planet in February 2021. The Martian location where it was found was in Neretva Vallis, home to a bygone river that once emptied water into Jezero Crater, the region Perseverance has been exploring.
The rock is a reddish, clay-rich mudstone, with speckles and leopard spots that hint at chemical reactions similar to those that some microbes use for energy here on Earth. It contains organic carbon, sulfur, phosphorus, and iron-rich minerals that could have supported tiny life forms billions of years ago. Though these minerals can also form without living things, the local conditions make a non-biological explanation seem less likely.
"When we see features like this in sediment on Earth, minerals are often the byproduct of microbial metabolisms that are consuming organic matter and making these minerals as a result of those reactions," said Joel Hurowitz, lead author of the Nature paper. "But there are non-biological ways to make these features that we cannot completely rule out."
For example, an alternate way to make an iron-sulfide mineral known as greigite, detected in the sample, could be to heat the rock, said Hurowitz, a planetary scientist at Stony Brook University — essentially cooking those ingredients to create a new mineral phase.
Perseverance scientists say they've exhausted what they can learn about the sample with the car-sized rover's instruments. Back home, researchers could better inspect the material. Advanced tools could search for complex organic molecules, DNA, cell structures, and more.
Without the sample in hand, scientists will continue to pore over the rover's data by testing surrogate ingredients in laboratories, especially to see if they can create similar results in non-biological ways.
Mars Sample Return has been in limbo since a review found it would cost upward of $11 billion and take nearly two decades to achieve. NASA engaged the greater aerospace industry for input on how to wrangle in spending and development last year. Several companies suggested a variety of ideas, which Mashable reported, including repurposing Artemis moon landers and rethinking the last leg of the journey.
The mission is not off the table, said the acting administrator, who is also the U.S. transportation secretary, and the agency will continue to explore cost-saving options to make it feasible.
"If we don't have the resources for the right missions, or the right people, I will go to the president, I'll go to the Congress, I'll ask for more money," he said. "I feel pretty confident that with the money that we've been given in the president's budget, we can accomplish our mission."
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From returning favorites like Severance and Andor to new gems The Pitt and The Studio, 2025 has been another excellent year for TV. And those shows are just the tip of the iceberg.
Severance is Mashable's number one show of the year (so far) and the Television Academy apparently agrees. It racked up the most Emmy nominations of any show this year with more than two dozen. Other shows we loved have also received high praise from the Academy. Which series will take home the biggest awards at the 2025 Emmys? You'll have to watch to find out — here's how you can watch the Emmys live with or without cable in 2025.
When are the 2025 Emmys?
The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held at the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, and will air live at 8 p.m. ET. This year's awards will be hosted by Grammy-nominated comedian Nate Bargatze. For those with cable or over-the-air TV, you can tune your TV to your local CBS station, watch online via CBS.com, or log into the CBS app with your pay TV service provider.
No cable access? No worries; we've rounded up the best ways to watch the Emmys live without cable below.
Who are this year's Emmy nominees?
While FX shows dominated last year's Emmys, this year the major awards are Apple TV+'s to lose. Both Severance and The Studio are poised to win big; the former with 27 total nominations and the latter with 23, tying The Bear's 2024 record of the most nominations for a comedy series in a single year. Other major contenders include The White Lotus (23 nominations), The Last of Us (16 nominations), Hacks (14 nominations), and The Penguin (24 nominations). See a full list of the 2025 Emmy nominations at the Television Academy website.
How to watch the Emmy Awards live without cable
Credit: CBS
This year, CBS is broadcasting the Emmy Awards live, which means its streaming counterpart, Paramount+, will also simulcast the ceremony. Only Paramount+ Premium subscribers will be able to stream the awards live; Paramount+ Essential subscribers can only watch the show on demand the day after it airs.
On the flip side, you can also use a digital TV antenna, a one-time purchase that will unlock all the local networks — ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC — within range. We'll leave the decision up to you.
If you're new to Paramount+, you're in luck. The streaming service is offering a fall promotion through Sept. 18 that saves you money on your plan. We've rounded up all the best deals for signing up below.
Best Paramount+ streaming deals
Best overall: 50% off annual Premium subscriptions
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New subscribers can sign up for an annual Paramount+ Premium plan for only $59.99 through Sept. 18. That's half the price of a usual annual plan and the same price as the Essential plan on a regular day. That means you can catch the Emmy Awards live, then enjoy ad-free viewing, the entire Showtime library, the ability to stream new episodes of Big Brother and FBI live as they air, and much more all year long. While you won't get a free trial, the savings are definitely worth it in the long run. Essential subscriptions are also half price — just $29.99 through Sept. 18 — but you won't be able to watch the awards live.
Best for students: 50% off monthly Premium subscriptions
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Students who want to watch the Emmy Awards can score a Paramount+ Premium subscription for only $6.49 per month (for one year) instead of $12.99 per month. That's 50% cheaper than a typical subscription, and you can cancel whenever you want. You'll just have to verify your student status to unlock the deal.
Best for Walmart shoppers: Free Paramount+ Essential with Walmart+
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A Walmart+ membership is the gift that keeps on giving. Like Amazon Prime, subscribing comes with many perks beyond free shipping. Walmart+ members can also enjoy Paramount+ Essential for free with their subscription. You won't be able to watch the Emmy Awards live, but you can watch the broadcast after it airs on your Essential account. New subscribers can also score a 30-day trial to kick things off.
Another option for watching live: Get a digital antenna
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For those who live decently close to your local TV station broadcast towers, a digital antenna is the best way to access broadcasts live and for free. These indoor antennas can be placed on your wall and hide behind your TV and offer — at the very least — your local CBS, FOX, NBC, and ABC stations. Just be sure to check the distance and range before making a purchase.
The closer you are, the clearer your local broadcasts will come through. Our friends at PCMag (which is owned by Mashable's publisher, Ziff Davis) have a few recommendations, including this basic one from Best Buy that retails for just $24.99. It's reversible to match your decor, multidirectional, and has a range of 50 miles.
SAVE $20: As of Sept. 12, get the Craftsman Mechanics Tool Set for $39.98 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $59.98. That's a discount of 33% and the lowest price we've seen.
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Do you have a set of projects that need doing around the house? No tools to complete them with? This Amazon deal can get you together with some of the tools you need to finish up, whether you're working on home maintenance like plumbing or general repairs or some automotive tasks. Plus, it's on sale for a great price.
As of Sept. 12, get the Craftsman Mechanics Tool Set for $39.98 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $59.98. That's $20 off and a discount of 33%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.
This 61-piece tool set comes with 3/8-inch drivers, with a low-profile 72-tooth ratchet. The ratchet head is about 25% thinner than some of Craftsman's other models. You also get a variety of 6-point sockets and drive tools for better grip on fasteners. It's a good selection of options that can help you accomplish a wide spectrum of tasks. Plus, it all comes in a handy case to keep it all organized.
Should you run into any issues, Craftsman also offers a full lifetime warranty on this tool set, so you'll be covered if something doesn't work the way it should or you have a faulty tool that gives out on you. That way you can feel good about buying, even if this is a lower end set of tools that won't break the bank.
Be ready to tackle all your DIY projects this fall while you're hanging out around the house and save some serious cash while doing it.
GET A FREE ITEM: As of Sept. 12, when you purchase $800 worth of qualifying EcoFlow items at Amazon, like the Delta 2 Max solar generator on sale for $999 (reg. $1,699), you'll get a free benefit item.
Getting a hefty discount on a big purchase is always a win, but scoring a free gift on top of it feels like hitting the jackpot. For a limited time, Amazon is running a promotion on select EcoFlow products that does just that. If you're in the market for a serious power station, you can snag one on sale and get a second piece of gear for free.
Amazon is giving away free Bluetti portable solar generators — here's how to qualify for the deal
As of Sept. 12, the promotion applies when you spend $800 or more on qualifying items. One example is the EF EcoFlow Delta 2 Max solar generator, which is currently on sale for $999, a $700 discount off its $1,699 list price. Since that purchase is over the $800 threshold, you qualify for the free "benefit item."
To get the deal, you first need to use the "Qualifying item(s)" filter on the promo page to add at least $800 worth of products (like the Delta 2 Max) to your cart. Next, click the "Benefit item(s)" filter to view and add your free gift to the cart. The discount should be applied automatically at checkout, making the benefit item free.
The Delta 2 Max offers 2048Wh of storage and a 2400W output, which is enough to run a mini fridge for over 29 hours or power 15 devices at once. It’s ideal for home backup during an outage or for powering a campsite. One of its best features is the lightning-fast charging, reaching 80 percent in just 43 minutes when using both a wall outlet and solar panels.
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