The world, the universe and us Weekly: Life on Mars; biggest dark energy discovery in decades; the mystery of dark oxygen
Mar 21, 2025
Discover potential evidence of microbial life on Mars, uncovered by the Perseverance rover in the Jezero Crater. Explore the implications of a drastic shift in our understanding of dark energy, possibly indicating a future cosmic collapse. Dive into the mystery of dark oxygen, revealed to potentially sustain deep-sea ecosystems and hint at life beyond Earth. These groundbreaking findings challenge long-held beliefs and open new doors for scientific exploration.
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Possible Martian Life
- Markings on Martian rocks, similar to Earth's microbial patterns, suggest past life.
- Minerals found usually form in water, and the lack of large crystals indicates a low-temperature, microbial origin, not inorganic reactions.
Weakening Dark Energy
- Dark energy, the force expanding the universe, might be weakening, changing our understanding of the universe's fate.
- This could lead to a constant expansion rate or a "Big Crunch" where the universe collapses, challenging the Lambda CDM model.
Dark Oxygen Production
- Metallic nodules on the ocean floor produce oxygen through a newly discovered bacterial process involving nitrates.
- This "dark oxygen" could significantly impact deep-sea ecosystems and potentially be relevant to terraforming Mars, given nitrates exist there.