Mars: Is it all it's cracked up to be?⁣ Our Curiosity Mars rover spotted distinctive hexagonal mud cracks that scientists speculate may offer the first evidence of wet-dry cycles on Mars. One of the prevailing theories as to how life began on Earth is that persistent cycles of wet and dry conditions on land helped kickstart the complex chemical building blocks necessary for microbial life.⁣ ⁣ Curiosity spotted these mud cracks as it ascended between the sedimentary layers of Mount Sharp in a transitional zone, between a clay-rich layer and an enriched salty mineral region higher up. Transitional zones offer records depicting when long dry periods became prevalent, and rivers and lakes began to recede. The hexagonal patterns occur as the mud dries, shrinking and fracturing into T-shape junctions. When the junctions are repeatedly exposed to water, the T-junctions soften and become Y-shaped, eventually forming hexagons.⁣ ⁣ Mars is no stranger to cracks big and small. The Valles Marineri...