In July 2024, NASA’s Perseverance rover came across a peculiar rocky outcrop on Mars covered in strange spots. On Earth, these marks are almost always produced by microbial life. Sure, those specks are not definitive proof of alien life. But they are the best hint yet that life may not be a one-off event in the cosmos. But the only way to know for sure is to bring a sample of that rock home to study. Now, just over a year and a half later, the project to do so is on life support, with zero fun...

Plus: Trump’s China AI chips U-turn hasn’t gone down well with Democrats This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. This startup wants to use the Earth as a massive battery Texas-based startup Quidnet Energy just completed a test showing it can store energy for up to six months by pumping water underground. Using water to store electricity is hardly a new concept—pumped hydr...

Plus: the Supreme Court will allow South Carolina to block Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid funds This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. This battery recycling company is now cleaning up AI data centers In a sandy industrial lot outside Reno, Nevada, rows of battery packs that once propelled electric vehicles are now powering a small AI data center. Redwood Materials, one of...