In this week's Science Saturday, we look at science news ranging from advanced neuron technology to early life on ancient Mars. 

Neuron gaming

First, a new study has demonstrated that brain cells in a Petri dish can learn to play the arcade game Pong. Scientists at biotech startup Cortical Labs in Australia developed a system called the "DishBrain", which connects a computer running the paddle and ball game to a network of mouse and human brain cells grown on a chip. 

The neurons received feedback from the chip and adjusted activities to improve their performance. The experiment was published in the journal Neuron, with researchers calling it possible proof of "synthetic biological intelligence."

Experts say this opens up intriguing possibilities in the field of artificial intelligence, but more studies are needed to put the system to the test. 

Abiotic oxygen production

The presence of oxygen in exoplanets used to be deemed as a clue that there may be life in outer space but a new study indicates that this may not be the case. 

Scientists at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden suggested an ionic pathway from sulfur dioxide, which is a common constituent of many planetary atmospheres. 

The team say high-energy radiation from a star may have ionized these sulfur molecules, which later led to drifting oxygen atoms being rearranged into new compound. 

Experts say this pathway may help explain the abundance of oxygen in Jovian moons, and how Earth had a small amount of oxygen in its atmosphere before photosynthesizing organisms existed.

Life on early Mars

A new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy says the red planet may have been more habitable four billion years ago than it is now. 

The research team tested a hypothetical scenario of an emerging Martian ecosystem by using state-of-the-art models of the planet with Earth-like microbes living underground. 

The simulation shows Mars had a much warmer climate back then, allowing ancient microbial life to thrive. But the biological activities changed the planet's atmosphere and eventually kicked off global cooling, making it uninhabitable again. 

Scientists say it's unclear how long Mars remained habitable, but future missions to the planet may provide some answers.

Space exploration

The James Webb Space Telescope's new imaging of  the iconic "Pillars of Creation" has revealed details never seen before about the magnificent clouds. 

The Hubble telescope, which observes the universe mostly in visible light, Webb's infrared, heat-detecting viewpoint peers through the darkness to show how light in the universe is being born. The Pillars of Creation are one of the closest regions of active star formations to the Earth. 

With Webb's enhanced capability, scientists, for the first time, are able to study the clouds' structure in great clarity and the cosmic processes over millions of years. 

The international astronomical community is hopeful that Webb's future observations can show even more about the formation of stars and galaxies.