The organic molecules discovered by NASA’s Curiosity rover could have been formed by life, but they could have also come from geologic processes or meteorites After drilling a rock sample from a spot on Mars nicknamed “Mary Anning,” NASA’s Curiosity rover took this selfie on October 25, 2020. Now, that sample has revealed organic molecules that have never been seen on the red planet before. NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS NASA’s Curiosity rover has discovered the most diverse collection of organic molecules ever found on Mars, including some that are considered building blocks for life on Earth. A rock sample analyzed by the rover contained 21 organic molecules, and seven of them had never been detected on the red planet before, according to a statement from NASA. After years of studying Curiosity’s data, scientists published the findings on Tuesday in Nature Communications .…