Sunday Special: A beach on Mars

Scientists just found the perfect spot for a beach vacation — but it’s 4 billion years too late and on another planet. Their latest discovery gives us the strongest proof yet of an ancient ocean that once covered a third of Mars’ surface. Meanwhile, NASA just launched a game-changing rocket that could make space travel cheaper and more efficient than ever.

P.S. The Sunday Special is designed to help you discover the most important scientific and technological breakthroughs outside of AI. Our regular AI and Tech updates will resume as usual on Monday.

SCIENCE SUNDAY

The most interesting scientific discoveries and breakthroughs this week

Red Rewind: Turns out Mars wasn’t always a dusty wasteland. New data from China’s Zhurong Mars Rover reveals evidence of ancient beaches buried beneath a vast Martian plain — suggesting that the Red Planet once had a massive ocean covering a third of its surface. The discovery identifies promising locations to search for signs of microbial life. It may also explain the planet’s iconic rusty red color.

Quantum Defense: As quantum computers inch closer to breaking traditional encryption, sensitive user data could potentially be at risk of getting hacked. Now, Swiss semiconductor company SEALSQ has unveiled the QS7001, the world's first chip designed to protect against quantum computing attacks. If it holds up in real-world tests, it could shrink the hacker’s attack window, protecting data in a post-quantum world.

Gravity Glider: NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer has hitched a ride on a SpaceX Falcon 9 to scan the Moon for water as part of Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission this week. The spacecraft used an ultra-efficient gravity-assisted trajectory — a method to power a spacecraft using the natural gravitational pull of planets, moons, and the Sun — to adjust its speed and direction without using much fuel. The lander is targeting a lunar landing on March 6, and if successful, could pave the way for more sustainable space exploration.

Nuclear Close-up: German scientists have invented an entirely new field of microscopy — nuclear spin microscopy — that gives us a peek inside individual cells with unprecedented clarity. Using quantum sensors, it converts magnetic resonance signals into light, enabling ultra-high-resolution imaging down to individual cells. This could potentially become a standard tool in medical diagnostics.

Golden Find: Geologists have searched for 'gold hydrogen’ — huge natural reserves of hydrogen in the Earth — for decades. Now, a new study has blown its cover. Turns out mountain ranges, like the Alps and the Himalayas, are prime locations for natural hydrogen reserves, holding 20x more hydrogen than rift basins. This could kickstart a new wave of hydrogen mining, potentially fast-tracking the transition to a greener energy future.

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NEW TECH

Our favorite new tech gadgets this week

1. Masdio Ivy: An AI-powered flower pot that reacts to touch and develops a personality over time, learning and adapting to plant care. It displays 49+ animated emotions, recognizes gestures, and even connects to Alexa and other smart home devices.

2. xTool Apparel Printer: An all-in-one printer for custom clothing. It can print on any fabric using dual print heads and AI-powered color accuracy and works in 3 easy steps — design, click, press.

3. Sigma BF Camera: A minimalist full-frame mirrorless camera built for speed and simplicity. It packs a touch interface, 230GB internal storage, 6K video recording, and a durable aluminum unibody.

4. Neurode Headset: The world's first drug-free ADHD treatment headset (at least that’s what the company is claiming). It claims to track brain activity in real-time, helping improve focus, impulse control, and memory in just 20 minutes a day.

SOCIAL SIGNALS

What’s trending in Tech on socials this week

Hack Hoax: A Reddit user claims to have discovered a hack to access ChatGPT’s premium model (ChatGPT Plus) for free. It’s probably intended as a joke, but some users are taking it seriously.

Lifespan Leap: Celine Halioua, CEO of Loyal — a biotech startup that aims to extend dog lifespans with longevity drugs — says the company’s senior dog longevity drug has cleared a key FDA hurdle and could hit the market this year.

Cyber Cops: The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is adding 10 Tesla Cybertrucks to its fleet for patrol and SWAT use. Sheriff Kevin McMahill says they’ll be outfitted to match LVMPD’s signature look, and it’s got X users hyped.

Sci-Fly: The age-old prophecy of flying cars from sci-fi movies may finally be coming true. Transportation technology company Alef Aeronautics’ new drivable flying car just took off in an urban field, and it’s got Redditors excited about the future of transport. Although some think it looks more like a flying drone than a car.

Jurassic Giant: A fossil of a 10-meter Ichthyosaur — the largest ever discovered in the UK — was unearthed in Rutland this week, revealing a gigantic prehistoric sea predator. It dates back about 180 million years!

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ONLY GOOD NEWS

A healthy dose of optimism to kickstart your week

Superbug Slayer: UC Irvine scientists just gave us a peek at what could be the end of the antibiotic resistance crisis. They claim to have developed a next-gen drug candidate that could outsmart drug-resistant bacteria. A new version of vancomycin, it blocks the bacteria’s ability to build protective cell walls. If it holds up, it could end the antibiotic-bacteria arms race, potentially saving millions from deadly infections.

Mouse Magic: Scientists have uncovered a lung-healing mechanism in mice that could help premature babies breathe easier. Using 4D microscopy, they captured how mouse lungs repair themselves, challenging traditional views on lung development. If successful, this discovery could lead to breakthrough treatments in lung regeneration and might give fragile newborns a second chance at healthy lungs.

Flying Green: NASA is betting on a new hybrid hydrogen engine that could end aviation's carbon guilt trip once and for all. Researchers have built the Hy2PASS, a hybrid engine that decouples the compressor from the turbine, dramatically boosting efficiency while producing only water as exhaust. This could potentially cut the stubborn carbon footprint that haunts the aviation industry.

Retinal Reset: Children suffering from a rare eye disorder, LCA-AIPL1, are now seeing the world for the first time thanks to a revolutionary new gene therapy. The one-hour procedure injects a virus under the retina to deliver a healthy copy of the critical gene, with all treated children showing significant vision improvement — some even achieving 20/80 vision. If approved, the therapy could soon be rolled out for widespread use.

Age Check: Scientists have developed an AI-powered MRI scan that can measure your brain’s biological age and track how fast it’s aging. The breakthrough method — tested on Alzheimer’s patients — could predict cognitive decline and personalize treatments before symptoms appear. Researchers hope it will soon help assess Alzheimer’s risk and guide dementia prevention.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Watch: Firefly's Blue Ghost Captures Stunning Lunar Approach

Firefly Aerospace is giving us a passenger-seat view of its next lunar approach. New footage from the company’s lunar lander Blue Ghost shows a view from 60 miles above the Moon. The lander is expected to land at Mare Crisium, on the near side of the Moon, on March 2.

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Zain and the Superhuman AI team