Mars crater is 'chock-full' of opal gemstones, hinting at widespread water and possible microbial life

Quarry workers make 'unexpected' discovery of ship from Queen Elizabeth I's reign | Could humans use black holes to time travel? | Newfound 'protective shield' in the brain is like a watchtower for immune cells Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( January 6, 2023 CONNECT WITH LIVESCIENCE  [Facebook]( [Twitter](  [LIVESCIENCE]( Amazing science every day [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE]( [] Top Science News [] [Mars crater is 'chock-full' of opal gemstones, hinting at widespread water and possible microbial life]( [Mars crater is 'chock-full' of opal gemstones, hinting at widespread water and possible microbial life]( (Malin Space Science Systems/NASA/JPL-Caltech) An ancient, dried-up lake bed on Mars may be teeming with opal gemstones, new data from NASA's Mars Curiosity rover suggests. Beyond giving the cracked surface of Mars' Gale Crater a semiprecious glint, these opals could be evidence that water and rock have been interacting beneath the Martian surface much more recently than was previously thought, improving the prospects that microbial life once lived there, according to a study published Dec. 19 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. Full Story: [Live Science]( (1/6) [] History & Archaeology [] [Quarry workers make 'unexpected' discovery of ship from Queen Elizabeth I's reign]( [Quarry workers make 'unexpected' discovery of ship from Queen Elizabeth I's reign]( (Wessex Archaeology) Much of the wooden hull of a rare Elizabethan-era ship has been found in a flooded quarry in southeast England, hundreds of yards from the nearest coast. Few vessels from this time have survived, so an analysis of the find may shed new light on a key period in seafaring, when the country rapidly expanded its trading links throughout Europe through its control of the English Channel. Full Story: [Live Science]( (1/6) [] Math & Physics [] [Could humans use black holes to time travel?]( [Could humans use black holes to time travel?]( (solarseven via Getty Images) Black holes form natural time machines that allow travel to both the past and the future. But don’t expect to be heading back to visit the dinosaurs any time soon. At present, we don’t have spacecraft that could get us anywhere near a black hole. But, even leaving that small detail aside, attempting to travel into the past using a black hole might be the last thing you ever do. Featured Content Sponsored Content from Pfizer [Pfizer's using Artificial Intelligence to change medication development]( Artificial intelligence is set to play a massive role in how medication is developed going forward. Pfizer is using it to uncover how diseases develop in the body, screen for the best molecules for new medications, and even create individualized treatment plans. [Learn more here.]( [] Your Health [] [Newfound 'protective shield' in the brain is like a watchtower for immune cells]( [Newfound 'protective shield' in the brain is like a watchtower for immune cells]( (University of Copenhagen) A newfound "protective shield" in the brain helps clear waste from the organ and serves as a sentry tower for watchful immune cells that monitor for signs of infection, scientists reported in a study of mouse and human brains. The study, published Thursday (Jan. 5) in the journal Science, describes a thin sheet of tissue that measures only a few cells thick and splits an overarching compartment in the brain called the subarachnoid space into two halves horizontally. Full Story: [Live Science]( (1/5) [] Astronomy & Astrophysics [] [Massive, hidden sunspot blasts out enormous X-class flare - and Earth could soon be in the firing line]( [Massive, hidden sunspot blasts out enormous X-class flare - and Earth could soon be in the firing line]( (Shutterstock) A massive explosion on the far side of the sun recently spat out an X-class flare — one of the most powerful solar flares the sun is capable of producing. The resulting solar storm will narrowly miss Earth, but the sunspot responsible for belching it out could soon be pointed directly at our planet. Full Story: [Live Science]( (1/5) [] Curious Creatures [] [Invasive rats are changing how reef fish behave. It's because there's not enough bird poop.]( [Invasive rats are changing how reef fish behave. It's because there's not enough bird poop.]( (Shutterstock) It's no secret that invasive rats can cause widespread and long-lasting damage to tropical island ecosystems, but now, a new finding reveals that the invasive rodents' impacts may extend even further than the land on which they scamper; these ravenous critters can also disrupt the surrounding marine ecosystem. In the Indian Ocean, invasive island rats have altered the behavior of tiny farming fish known as jewel damselfish (Microspathodon chrysurus) that live on coral reefs located miles offshore, a new study shows. Full Story: [Live Science]( (1/5) [] Biology [] [Secret inner workings of cells revealed through self-assembling 'memory' chains]( [Secret inner workings of cells revealed through self-assembling 'memory' chains]( (University of Michigan) Researchers have coaxed mouse brain cells into producing self-assembling protein chains that can record information, or "memories," about the hidden processes that take place within the cells. Once fully formed, these biological black boxes can be easily read using a light microscope, which could potentially revolutionize how scientists study cellular processes and the diseases that affect them. Full Story: [Live Science]( (1/5) [] Daily Quiz [] POLL QUESTION: True or false: Within the skull, the brain is surrounded by a clear fluid that acts as a kind of shock absorber. 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