Nasa finds molecules on Mars

And other stories from the stranger side of life

Mars
(Image credit: Space Imaging/Getty Images)

Nasa’s Perseverance rover has discovered organic molecules on the surface of Mars, suggesting that life may have once existed on the planet. The molecules are chemical compounds normally found in living systems, which can consist of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. “They are an exciting clue for astrobiologists since they are often thought of as building blocks of life,” Joseph Razzell Hollis, told Newsweek.

Humans do not have to defecate every day

Human beings do not have to defecate every day, an expert has told CNN. Dr Folasade May, a gastroenterologist, said that “there’s really not a fixed or normal number of bowel movements” and “most people will have anywhere between a bowel movement up to three times a day to three times per week”. Dr Michael Camilleri, a consultant and professor in gastroenterology, said that “the stool form, appearance or consistency of the bowel movement is actually a much better criterion” for determining health.

Otter steals surfboard

A sea otter keeps pinching surfers’ boards in California, reported The Telegraph. Videos show the five-year-old otter, known as Otter 841, “jumping atop surfboards, nudging their owners out of the way and basking in the sunshine as it waits for the swell in Santa Barbara”, said the paper. However, while “most people have found the encounters charming”, officials are now attempting to return her to captivity, to prevent her biting someone.

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Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books.