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A new study based on data from NASA’s Curiosity rover provides compelling evidence that Mars once had an active carbon cycle, which could explain why the planet was warmer and wetter billions of years ago. Researchers analyzing Curiosity’s findings discovered carbonate minerals, specifically siderite, embedded within sulfate-rich layers in Gale Crater's Mount Sharp area. The presence of these carbonates is significant because they form from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, indicating that ancient Mars had a thick CO2 atmosphere capable of supporting liquid water on its surface.
This discovery helps address a long-standing question about Mars’ early climate. Scientists have suspected that ancient Mars supported a thicker carbon dioxide atmosphere, creating a greenhouse effect that kept the planet warm enough for lakes and rivers. However, until now, there was limited direct evidence of carbonate minerals, which are key to confirming an active carbon cycle. The carbonates on Mars would have precipitated from the atmosphere and eventually transformed into rock as the atmosphere thinned over time, contributing to the planet's transition from a warm, wet environment to the cold, arid world we see today.
The study, published in Science and led by geochemist Benjamin Tutolo at the University of Calgary, suggests that the carbon cycle operated similarly to Earth’s, cycling carbon between the atmosphere, surface water, and rocks. This finding is crucial for understanding Mars’ geological and atmospheric evolution and strengthens the idea that the planet was once hospitable to life. Future missions focusing on sulfate-rich areas may further confirm these findings and reveal more about Mars’ ancient environment and habitability.
The Curiosity rover, which has been exploring Mars since 2012, drilled samples from several sites, revealing these large carbonate deposits that had previously eluded detection. Researchers describe drilling through the layered Martian surface as reading a history book, unveiling how the planet’s climate changed dramatically over time. This breakthrough discovery fills a critical gap in understanding Mars’ past atmosphere and supports the notion that volcanic activity would have emitted the CO2 necessary for a stable, warm climate. While much of Mars’ atmosphere was lost to space, the remnants preserved in carbonate minerals offer a tangible record of an ancient carbon cycle, highlighting Mars’ potential to have once supported life.
This research marks a pivotal advance in planetary science, showing that Mars’ climate history included a carbon cycle that helped maintain warmer, wetter conditions, which could have been suitable for microbial life. The findings open new avenues for exploring Mars’ geological past and the processes that shaped its transformation.
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1. https://www.sciencealert.com/curiosity-finds-first-in-situ-evidence-of-carbon-cycle-on-ancient-mars - (Trust Score 8/10)
- The article confirms that the Curiosity rover has found evidence of a carbon cycle on ancient Mars, which indicates that the planet was once warm enough for water and had an active carbon cycle.
2. https://envirotecmagazine.com/2025/04/18/mars-once-had-a-carbon-cycle-say-new-findings/ - (Trust Score 7/10)
- This source also reports that new evidence from NASA’s Curiosity rover shows that Mars possessed a carbon cycle in ancient times, which is crucial for understanding the planet's habitability and climate history.
3. https://www.sci.news/space/curiosity-carbon-cycle-early-mars-13839.html - (Trust Score 8/10)
- The article from Sci News discusses how the discovery of carbonate minerals by the Curiosity rover indicates that a carbon cycle operated on early Mars, suggesting a warmer and wetter past for the planet.
The Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) has announced the Class 12 results for the Commerce and Science streams. For the Commerce stream, the pass percentage is 91.2%, while for the Science stream, it is 79.26%. The Science stream has seen a notable increase of 7% compared to last year. The results were declared by Ramdas Soren, Minister of School Education and Literacy, at the JAC Office conference room in Ranchi. The pass percentage for Commerce students indicates a strong performance, with girls outperforming boys in both streams. In the Commerce stream, the pass percentage for girls is significantly higher at 95.05%, compared to 78.47% for boys. Students can access their results online through official websites such as jacresults.com and results.digilocker.gov.in. The results are available after 12:30 PM following the official announcement. The exams were conducted from February 11 to March 4, 2025, with practicals taking place from March 4 to 20, 2025. Latehar district has topped in both streams, highlighting its educational achievements. The results signify a positive trend in the academic performance of students in Jharkhand, with Commerce students showing a particularly strong performance. However, the results for the Arts stream are yet to be announced. Overall, the increase in pass percentages reflects an improvement in the educational standards in the state. <br /> <br /> The JAC has organized the result declaration with the aim of providing timely and accessible information to students. The process of checking results is straightforward, involving a visit to the official website and entering the roll number and roll code. This approach ensures that students can quickly access their results and plan their future academic endeavors accordingly.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has decided to advance the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) into the final design phase, while the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) will not receive further funding commitments from the NSF. This decision reflects the NSF's financial constraints, as supporting the construction of both extremely large telescopes is not feasible. The Giant Magellan Telescope, with a total project cost of approximately $2.54 billion, has received significant commitments from its partner institutions, totaling over $850 million. In contrast, the TMT faces financial challenges, including a $300 million shortfall and the withdrawal of key funding partners such as China. The TMT project also faces legal and logistical hurdles. Its construction permit has expired, and efforts to reinstate it are stalled due to environmental and cultural concerns. The Maunakea Access Road, essential for construction, is owned by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and recent legal rulings have highlighted jurisdictional issues. Additionally, the University of Hawaii's master lease for Maunakea is set to expire in 2033, casting doubt on the long-term viability of the project. <br /> <br /> The NSF's decision to fund the GMT instead of the TMT emphasizes the agency's strategic priorities and financial realities. While the TMT's future remains uncertain, the NSF continues to evaluate potential investments in the project through ongoing environmental reviews. The agency aims to balance scientific advancement with environmental stewardship and respect for Indigenous cultural heritage. However, without further funding, the TMT project's prospects appear increasingly dim.
The Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) has officially announced the Class 12 results for the Science and Commerce streams for the academic session 2024–25. The results were declared on May 31, 2025, at 11:30 AM at an event held in Ranchi, with the Hon'ble Minister of School Education and Literacy, Shri Ramdas Soren, in attendance. Following the announcement, students can access their results online from 12:30 PM through the official websites jacresults.com and jac.jharkhand.gov.in. The results are also available on the DigiLocker platform. In the Science stream, about 98,634 students appeared for the exams conducted between February and March 2025. Out of these, 78,186 students passed, marking a pass percentage of 79.26%. Among the successful candidates, 38,732 secured first division, 19,383 were in the second division, and 63 students obtained third division marks. This reflects a solid performance given the challenging nature of the Science curriculum. Meanwhile, the Commerce stream saw a higher pass percentage, with an impressive 91.2% of students clearing the exams. The Commerce exams also received strong participation due to the stream's career-oriented focus. Both streams required students to score at least 33% in theory and practical components to qualify. The exams were held from February 11 to March 3 for theory papers, and practical exams took place from March 4 to March 20. Each subject was marked out of 100, combining theory and practical scores. Approximately 3 lakh students appeared across all streams in this board examination cycle, emphasizing Jharkhand's growing academic engagement among senior secondary students. Students and parents can now check the detailed results, including individual marks and division statuses, on the official portals, helping them plan their higher education and career paths accordingly.
The race to recreate the power of the sun on Earth has taken a significant leap forward with a new world record set by scientists in China. Operating the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), often referred to as China’s “artificial sun,” researchers maintained a steady-state high-confinement plasma operation for 1,066 seconds—more than 17 minutes—on January 20, 2025. This achievement marks a major milestone in the decades-long global effort to harness nuclear fusion, the process that powers the sun and could offer humanity an almost limitless, clean energy source. <br /><br /> This breakthrough more than doubles the previous record of 403 seconds set by EAST in 2023. The experiment was conducted by the Institute of Plasma Physics at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Scientists have long pursued the dream of stable, self-sustaining fusion, which requires creating and maintaining plasma at temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius. Achieving such conditions is critical because only then can the fusion process—where light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing enormous amounts of energy—be sustained long enough for practical electricity generation. <br /><br /> The new record is not just an isolated technical feat; it is considered a crucial step toward future commercial fusion power plants. While current fusion devices have not yet achieved ignition—the point at which a fusion reaction produces more energy than it consumes—the ability to maintain stable plasma loops for extended periods is essential for continuous power generation. As researchers worldwide, including those involved in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, continue to push the boundaries, the progress made by EAST brings hope that fusion energy could one day help address global energy challenges and open new possibilities for space exploration.
West Virginia University researchers are pioneering a new approach to teaching college mathematics by developing and disseminating a problem-solving model that integrates with other disciplines like business and biology. This initiative aims to enhance mathematical literacy among college graduates nationwide, ensuring the U.S. can meet its scientific and technological challenges. The model, known as SUMMIT-P, emphasizes the immediate application of mathematical concepts across various classrooms, fostering a shared context between different content areas through interdepartmental partnerships. The SUMMIT-P model is designed to address the common issue of students struggling to apply mathematical knowledge to problem-solving in other fields such as engineering, economics, or chemistry. By aligning mathematics classes with other courses, this approach ensures that students can articulate problems in quantitative terms, preparing them for an integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. The project, supported by the National Science Foundation since 2016, continues to receive funding, underscoring its significance in transforming mathematics education. This collaborative effort involves faculty from different departments working together to create a more integrated and relevant mathematics curriculum. The goal is to make mathematics more accessible and applicable to real-world problems, thus increasing its value and relevance to students pursuing diverse fields of study. By changing how mathematics is taught, West Virginia University is contributing to a broader movement in STEM education aimed at enhancing problem-solving skills and interdisciplinary understanding.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and a prominent figure in several high-profile technology ventures, recently made headlines by announcing his full-time return to his businesses after a period of significant involvement with the White House. Over recent months, Musk had been engaged in advising the U.S. government on federal spending cuts, a role that some investors criticized as diverting his attention away from Tesla and his other companies. Investors and analysts expressed concern that Musk’s divided focus was contributing to declining sales for Tesla, particularly in European markets, and a notable drop in the company’s stock price. <br /><br /> Tesla’s major shareholders formally requested that Musk dedicate at least 40 hours a week to the electric car company, emphasizing that his leadership and strategic vision are essential for restoring growth and shareholder confidence. The investors argued that Musk’s work in politics and at other companies, such as SpaceX and xAI, had negatively impacted Tesla’s performance and market reputation. Their formal appeal to the board coincided with a period of weakened global confidence and a nearly 12% decline in Tesla’s stock price so far this year. <br /><br /> In response to mounting pressure, Musk announced over the weekend his intention to be “super focused” on Tesla and his other ventures, stating that he would be “spending 24/7 at work.” His promise appeared to reassure the market, with Tesla’s stock experiencing a sharp rise following his announcement, even as challenges like declining European registrations persist. Analysts remain hopeful that Musk’s renewed focus, combined with upcoming product launches such as Tesla’s robotaxi in Austin, will help the company regain momentum and strengthen its position in the competitive electric vehicle industry. <br /><br /> The coming months are expected to be critical in determining whether Musk’s full-time return can address investor concerns and drive a turnaround for Tesla. While Tesla has not officially responded to the investors’ letter, Musk’s public statements and the market’s positive reaction suggest a potential shift toward stability and growth for the company. The tech community is also closely watching how Musk balances his responsibilities at Tesla, SpaceX, xAI, and his other ventures amid these developments.