Mars coughs up another maybe-life clue in the form of nickel compounds
https://www.theregister.com/2026/03/31/nickel_found_on_mars/
The Perseverance rover has spotted nickel compounds in Martian rocks arranged like organic carbon compounds tied to life on Earth, hinting that ancient river channels once carried chemistry that resembles biology. But the scientists warn geology may still outpace biology here: while the minerals mirror patterns linked to living processes, they don’t prove life existed. The find shows Mars hosts intriguing chemistry from its past, inviting further tests to separate truly biological signals from geology-driven ones. For now, the take-home is clear: Mars keeps surprising us, and next missions could tighten the gap between geology and the possible signatures of life.