Technologies

Yes, NASA Found Evidence of Ancient Life on Mars. Here’s the Real Story

Learn why scientists are cautiously optimistic about the potential biosignatures found in the Sapphire Canyon rock sample.

Just last week, NASA’s Perseverance rover dropped some major news from Mars that has everyone talking. A tiny rock sample, dramatically named «Sapphire Canyon,» is showing tantalizing hints of what scientists call biosignatures. In plain English? Potential signs that ancient, alien life might have once existed on the Red Planet.

Perseverance snagged this promising sample from a rock in Jezero Crater, which happens to be a dried-up ancient riverbed. The fact that this area was once flush with water is a huge deal, since that’s a key ingredient for life as we know it. While this isn’t a smoking gun for little green men, it’s a massive clue.

As one NASA scientist put it, finding proof of past life would seriously «increase the possibility that some form of life has survived» underground on Mars today — a pretty wild thought to chew on.

Don’t miss any of CNET’s unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome.

Life on Mars?

So, does this finally confirm that life once existed on Mars? It’s a very good start, and the most significant lead NASA has found so far. Dr. Rench was clear on this point. «This discovery significantly increases our chances of finding ancient signatures of life at Mars. It suggests the possibility of life on Mars several billion years ago. It does not provide any evidence for life on Mars today.»

The data collected by Perseverance using its onboard instruments (X-ray lithochemistry and NASA’s SHERLOC scanner) was peer-reviewed and appears promising, but it doesn’t absolutely confirm life. More tests and input are needed for that, and the samples could have been generated from a natural chemical process without the presence of life. But scientists are excited about these signs and eager to learn more.

What kind of Mars life are we talking about? It’s not the sort that comes in peace, or goes much of anywhere. The possible biosignatures indicate small, microbial life. Sapphire Canyon showed signs of vivianite and greigite. Vivianite, in particular, is found on Earth’s peat bogs and swamps, while greigite is a byproduct some earth microbes leave behind. Think of this finding like a potential algae or swamp scum.

NASA is working on analyzing the data, running more tests and sharing the results with other scientists around the world to see what more they can learn. There’s a lot to rule out, from accidental sample contamination to the likelihood of nonorganic origins. That’s tough to do from millions of miles away, but NASA is on the case.

Technologies

As Rival Roblox Looms, Fortnite Will Let Creators Sell In-Game Items

For one year, at least, creators will also get a larger cut of the revenue.

Creators who make content for Fortnite can start monetizing their virtual goods in December.

The free-to-play online game’s publisher, Epic Games, announced Thursday that those in its Creator program will earn revenue from the sale of in-game items they’ve made and money they already earn from engagement payouts for Epic-created items.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Before platform and store fees, those creators ordinarily will earn 50% of the value of V-Bucks earned (V-Bucks are the platform’s virtual currency). But from December until the end of 2026, Epic is boosting that revenue cut to 100% — again, before fees. Fees vary from 12% to 30%, depending on whether players buy items directly from the Epic Games Store or from platforms such as the PlayStation Store or the Xbox Store.

Epic has been involved in ongoing legal battles with Apple and Google over app store fees. This year, Fortnite returned to the iOS platform in Europe and to Android devices after being pulled over the disputes.

‘The dominant way Gen Z and Gen Alpha play, create and socialize’

One reason that Fortnite is sharing the wealth with community developers is that its biggest competitor, Roblox, has been growing with multiple hit games on its platforms. This month, Roblox boasted that its creators earned more than $1 billion in revenue for 2024.

Roblox’s dominance in user-generated content for gaming is likely to have forced Epic’s hand toward more monetization.

«This move is a necessary step for Fortnite to stay competitive, but more importantly, it reflects that UGC gaming and the metaverse are already the dominant way Gen Z and Gen Alpha play, create and socialize,» said Joe Ferencz, founder and CEO at Gamefam, which helps brands create metaverse games. «The future isn’t years away — it’s here now.»

Ferencz said that while some players in Fortnite and Roblox do support specific creators, many players simply want to have in-game items for their avatars and to show them off to their friends. Fortnite’s move to compensate creators for that, he said, is «another signal that UGC gaming is the place where players get the opportunity to express and explore their self identity — and it opens up new ways for creators and brands to be part of that culture.»

Roblox, meanwhile, has been dealing with other problems, including complaints from parents and child-advocacy groups about safety on the platform. These issues have prompted Roblox to introduce more monitoring and filtering features.

Technologies

Home Depot’s Giant Skelly Has a Voice This Halloween Thanks to a New App

Fall has arrived, and spooky season starts now. Check out the latest version of Home Depot’s skeleton, which is half the size but has animated features and can talk.

With the fall equinox on Monday marking the end of summer, it’s time to start setting up your Halloween decorations (if you haven’t already). And this year, Home Depot’s infamous giant skeleton returns with an app that gives the new Ultra Skelly a voice and fresh moves to spook trick-or-treaters.

Make no bones about it: Skelly’s going high-tech this spooky season. The new animatronic version is shorter than the original, at 6.5 feet tall, but you can freak out your whole neighborhood with this skeleton’s rotating upper torso, moving mouth and 18 LCD eye variations (ew).

Skelly can now chat with visitors through five preset recordings and up to 30 seconds of custom recording, plus Bluetooth capabilities that let you interact in real time. And you can modulate your voice to make everything sound extra spooky.

Skelly was originally launched in 2020, when the pandemic forced people to celebrate Halloween at a distance. Perhaps because of its giant stature — it’s easy to spot, even when social distancing — the skeleton became a hit and has been resurrected every year since with upgrades and friends. This year, those friends include dragons, trolls, scarecrows and a Skelly Cat (not to be confused with Smelly Cat).

You can order Skelly and company now on the Home Depot website or app for $279.