Science news this week: Life on Mars, weird water and a curious human cousin

Key Points:

• NASA's Perseverance rover discovered the highest concentration of organic molecules on Mars in Jezero crater mudstones, suggesting possible fossilized microbes and advancing the search for past Martian life.
• The James Webb Space Telescope revealed insights into the rapid life cycles of early galaxies and captured the formation of a distant star in Orion, while the Euclid telescope produced the most detailed image of the Milky Way to date.
• Archaeologists studying Homo naledi skeletons found in a South African cave determined all analyzed specimens are female, adding to the mystery of this small-brained hominin known for unusual behaviors like possible fire use and burial practices.
• Scientists, aided by AI, provided evidence that water may exist as a mixture of two liquids—one dense and one less dense—explaining its unique physical properties such as ice floating and variable viscosity.
• China is expanding its massive water diversion project, including a new western route, to address severe water scarcity in northern megacities by redirecting water from southern rivers, alongside building the world’s largest dam in Tibet despite earthquake risks.