Last year, we reported on the discovery of an intriguing arrow-shaped rock on Mars by NASA's Perseverance rover. The rock contained chemical signatures and structures that could have been formed by ancient microbial life. Granted, this was not slam-dunk evidence of past life on Mars, and the results were preliminary, awaiting peer review. But it was an intriguing possibility nonetheless.
Now further analysis and peer review are complete, and there is a new paper, published in the journal Nature, reporting on the findings. It's still not definitive proof that there was water-based life on Mars billions of years ago, but the results are consistent with a biosignature. It's just that other non-biological processes would also be consistent with the data, so definitive proof might require analysis of the Martian samples back on Earth. You can watch NASA's livestream briefing here.
"We have improved our understanding of the geological context of the discovery since [last year], and in the paper, we explore abiotic and biological pathways to the formation of the features that we observe," co-author Joel Hurowitz, an astrobiologist at Stony Brook University in New York, told Ars. "My hope is that this discovery motivates a whole bunch of new research in laboratory and analog field settings on Earth to try to understand what conditions might give rise to the textures and mineral assemblages we've observed. This type of follow-on work is exactly what is needed to explore the various biological and abiotic pathways to the formation of the features that we are calling potential biosignatures."
Catelin Drey being sworn in as the newest member of the Iowa Senate by Justice Matthew McDermott, Sept. 15, 2025. — Iowa Senate Democrats photo
Catelin Drey officially became a member of the Iowa Senate on Monday, taking her oath of office at the State Capitol.
“There is something very humbling about taking the official oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the state of Iowa at a moment when it feels like that has become increasingly difficult or increasingly controversial,” the new senator from Sioux City told reporters after the swearing-in ceremony. “And so, that oath is sacred and I look forward to doing the best that I can to uphold that.”
Last month, Drey won the special election in Iowa Senate District 1 to fill the seat that came open after Rep. Rocky DeWitt’s death from pancreatic cancer in June. DeWitt, a Republican from Lawton, had held the Woodbury County seat since defeating incumbent Democrat Jackie Smith in 2022. Trump carried the district in 2024, winning 55 percent of the vote. Drey, a Democrat and first-time candidate, also won with 55 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Christopher Prosch in the Aug. 26 special election.
“I am looking forward to getting to work, quite honestly,” Drey said. “I’m perhaps unjustly optimistic about what the session in 2026 holds, but I am really excited to get to work with my Senate Democratic colleagues, and do what we can to improve the lives of Iowans.”
The next legislative session begins in January. Until then, Drey said she would be listening to her constituents and discussing issues with them.
“I’ve had folks reach out already about Iowa’s high-speed rail and what we can do there connecting both sides of the state,” she said. “I’ve had requests about child support, water quality, public schools, and so I’m taking all that information under advisement as we head to January.”
Republicans will still dominate the Iowa Senate during the next session, 33-17, but Drey’s victory ended the supermajority they held starting in January 2023. Senate Minority Leader Janice Weiner said that with the end of the supermajority, Senate Republicans will no longer be able to behave as if only their votes matter.
“I believe that what it does is give us the ability to have a role to talk to our colleagues and be part of the mix,” the Iowa City Democrat said standing next to Drey on Monday. “… Because if they want to get people confirmed, if they want some other things, they will need to work with us. That’s honestly the way it should work.”
Drey said she is ready to work with Republicans, and cited funding for public education as an area where she thinks bipartisan agreements may be likely.
“I think most people in the Senate can agree right now that we have a public education funding crisis. Supporting our students is the best way that we can give them an economic boost. And so, working really hard across the aisle to make sure we are funding our public schools at a rate that keeps pace with or exceeds inflation.”
There may be agreement among Democrats about the importance of funding public schools at or above the rate of inflation, but there isn’t among Republican lawmakers. The state’s funding for public schools has not kept pace with inflation since 2011, when Republicans took control of the Iowa House. In this year’s session, the House originally approved a 2.25 percent increase, which was less than the rate of inflation — 2.28 percent — but still higher than the 2 percent increase proposed by the Senate. The bill Gov. Reynolds signed into law used the Senate’s lower funding level.
Drey was asked if she was feeling concerned as she took office, given the events of last Wednesday, when a 16-year-old gunman wounded two students in a Colorado school shooting before killing himself, and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was murdered while speaking on a Utah college campus. President Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance and other prominent Republicans were quick to blame Democrats for Kirk’s murder, vowing to crack down on leftwing speech.
Once again, Drey struck a hopeful note.
“I think right now we need to turn the temperature down,” she said. “Talking to my neighbors, I think that we are much closer politically than the climate right now gives us credit for.”
“I’m thinking about the safety of kids in school, I’m thinking about the safety of myself and my Senate colleagues, but I am optimistic that we have an awareness now that this type of rhetoric is dangerous and I’m also optimistic that we can find some solutions to solve the gun violence crisis that is ongoing in this country.”
The 2026 session of the Iowa Legislature is scheduled to begin on Monday, Jan. 12.
Today is the Day! The Shattering Peace, my 19th novel, the seventh book in the Old Man’s War series, and my second novel of the 2025, is finally out in North America in print, ebook and audio (UK, you have two more days to wait for print/ebook. Be strong). It’s received rave reviews in the trades, including receiving starred reviews from Kirkus and Library Journal, and the general consensus so far is that it’s an excellent return to the Old Man’s War series. This makes me happy.
It’s important for me to note that while this is the seventh book in the series, it’s designed to be one that people who have not read the series before can get into. It’s a standalone book (so far) in the universe, and everything readers need to know to enjoy the story is laid out in the first couple of chapters. Newcomers won’t get lost, I promise. For the people who have read previous books in the series, you’ll find some old friends here, as well making some new ones.
You will find The Shattering Peace in literally every bookstore, online and offline, that carries science fiction. Remember also that for the next two weeks I am also on a book tour here in the US; come see if I’ll be near to where you are. Also! If you desire a signed book but my tour dates are not near you, remember you can call any of the bookstores where I’ll be on tour and ask them to have me sign it and then ship it to you. We’ll both be happy to do that. Subterranean Press also has signed copies available, and if you are outside the US, they ship internationally.
I’m very happy with this book and its story and I’m so thrilled that it’s finally out in the world for you all to enjoy. Welcome back to the Old Man’s War universe, and who knows? If enough of you like this one, maybe I’ll write another.
Look who just discovered their love for gun control! MAGA, that bastion of "from my cold dead hands" rhetoric, is suddenly all-in on firearms restrictions — as long as they're aimed at the right target.
Maru, once the world record holder for most YouTube views for an animal, was the best internet cat, and I will die on this hill. Maru was a chonker, maintained the utmost seriousness while doing ridiculous things, and loved boxes of all sizes. — Read the rest
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