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Summary
The simple organic compounds discovered by the Curiosity Mars rover either came with the tons of never-alive cosmic debris that sifts onto every planetary body or are something far more exciting: remains of martian life from eons ago, when a habitable lake graced the rover's landing site. Researchers could learn more about the complex organic molecules that yielded these first finds if Curiosity's drilling strikes a richer vein of organics in the coming months or if a more sophisticated analytical technique is employed.
↵* With additional reporting by Emily Lakdawalla, a freelance journalist in Los Angeles, California.
