Hello and welcome to the Intelligence on Economist Radio.

I'm your host, Jason Palmer.

Every weekday we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

When a rover drops on to Mars today,

humanity's efforts to spot extraterrestrial life will get a little boost.

The technology to go looking for it, to see evidence of it through a telescope

or even to listen for messages from it are all improving and fast.

And music that tells heart-wrenching stories that reveals the soul of the artist,

music with an edge.

These probably aren't the words you'd use to describe soft rock,

and in recent decades you'd have been right.

But the genre is changing again.

First up, though.

Brutal winter storms swept through America this week,

killing more than 30 people.

More snow is expected in the south and east in the coming days.

Electric grids were overwhelmed by surges in demand,

leaving millions without power and shivering amid dangerously low temperatures.

Officials have warned people not to bring grills or propane heaters indoors

after carbon monoxide poisoning killed at least two people and hospitalized several others.

The grid failures were most severe in Texas,

which experienced widespread blackouts.

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