💬 Quoted… “We’re finding evidence that Mars was likely a planet of rivers.”

• In a peer-reviewed study published yesterday, Penn State scientists revealed new evidence that Mars was once comparable to a wet, hot American summer filled with more rivers than previously thought. And, since rivers on Earth play an important role in the chemical, nutrient, and sediment cycles that all have a positive impact on life, the new discovery suggests – but doesn’t prove – Mars once had the proper conditions to support life.

🎶🗣️ Stat of the Day: Spotify executives used the word “efficiency” more than 30 times over the course of the company’s 50-minute quarterly earnings call, in which it reported an operating profit for the first time in a year. The company attributed its recent success to a $1/month price increase combined with the downsizing of its podcast operation. Moving forward, Spotify said it will focus more on tools to scale the business rather than content to attract listeners.

🤔 Did You Know?... Placebo treatments can actually work – even when the patient knows they’re taking a placebo instead of actual medicine. Now, if only we could apply this to broken-down cars (you don’t need a new transmission, silly, you’re fine).

📰 Worth a Read: The frightening economics of haunted houses → (The Hustle)