Images of Jyvaskylavirus. The virus particle is about twice the size of influenza or coronavirus. Credit: University of Jyväskylä Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Many viruses measure just tens of nanometers (nm) in size, but that’s not always the case. In some rare instances , so-called “giant viruses” can grow to  as much as 1,000 times larger than their relatives. But despite the terrifying name, giant viruses aren’t necessarily any more dangerous than a standard-sized species. And in Finland, researchers recently discovered the nation’s first known example. Meet Jyvaskylavirus, a 200 nm diameter giant that’s roughly two times bigger than influenza or coronavirus. Jyvaskylavirus is detailed in a study recently published in eLife, and named for Jyväskylä, the Finnish city where  it was discovered.According to researchers, the new species was discovered after mixing environmental samples with a culture of amoeba called Acanthamoeba castellanii. “We elucidated the genome and structure of the Jyvaskylavirus, which was found to be related to Marseilleviruses previously isolated from France,” Lotta-Riina Sundberg, study co-author and University of Jyväskylä professor Lotta-Riina Sundberg, said in a statement on April 16. Helium ion microscopy images of Jyvaskylavirus attachment to A. castellanii cells. Credit: eLife What makes Jyvaskylavirus particularly interesting to researchers is where it was found. So far, the majority of most known giant viruses so far have only been identified in Europe and South America. Finding a strain so far north leads the study’s authors to theorize that giant viruses may be more widespread in soil and water than previously believed. Giant virus life cycles and spread are still not very well understood. That said, certain Arctic species have been shown to infect specific kinds of algae that are currently exacerbating the melting of Earth’s polar ice caps. Because of their size, giant viruses also have exponentially larger genomes than their standard-sized counterparts—as many as 2.5 million base DNA pairs compared to the usual 7,000–20,000. While large, Jyvaskylavirus is still dwarfed by the biggest known example, Pandoravirus salinas (500 nm) Researchers hope further study of examples like Jyvaskylavirus will lead to a better understanding of the unique microscopic organisms. But while Jyvaskylavirus is Finland’s first catalogued giant virus, Sundberg made clear it certainly isn’t the last. “Other new giant viruses were also detected in [our] environmental samples,” they teased.

News Space A NASA rover finally found Mars’ missing carbon The finding could help explain why Mars lost its habitable climate NASA’s Curiosity rover drilled into different rocks along an 89-meter stretch of terrain on its route up a mountain in an ancient lakebed. Samples from the rocks had carbon-bearing minerals that hint at a long lost carbon cycle and life-friendly climate. NASA By Lisa Grossman 7 seconds ago The carbon that once warmed Mars’ atmosphere has been locked in its rusty rocks for millennia.  That’s the story revealed by a hidden cache of carbon-bearing minerals unearthed by NASA’s Curiosity rover along its route up a Martian mountain. The finding is the first evidence of a carbon cycle on the Red Planet, but also suggests that Mars lost its life-friendly climate because that carbon cycle was slow, researchers report in the April 18 Science. Sign up for our newsletter We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.

Nature, Published online: 17 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01014-1Conventional tests that look only at a small subset of genetic code often miss variations hiding outside the protein-coding genome.

About half of the non-dark matter in the universe cannot be accounted for by stars and galaxies alone. Now, scientists say previously undetected clouds of hydrogen gas could finally reveal it.

Take a look at this stunning, smooth animated fire created by @cmzw_ with Material Maker.See the nodes: https://80.lv/articles/smooth-animated-fire-created-with-material-maker/

RT Cartesian CaramelThe Instance Bounds node has been added to Blender 4.5 https://projects.blender.org/blender/blender/commit/3d1b6f53f3e8c1241867f5ce3aac7307c3863f3b #b3d #geometrynodes

Photo Credit: EA/ Hazelight Studios Split Fiction released across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X on March 6 Highlights The Nintendo Switch 2 is launching on June 5 Split Fiction is not releasing on the original Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders for Split Fiction will begin on April 24 Advertisement Split Fiction on Nintendo Switch 2 will let players on the original Switch join in via GameShare, Electronic Arts has said. The GameShare feature, announced alongside the Switch 2, allows two players, who own a Switch 2 or the Nintendo Switch, to share a single copy of a compatible game over a local wireless connection. A Nintendo Switch 2 owner will be able to share Hazelight's acclaimed co-op title with another user on the Switch via GameShare. Split Fiction is coming to Nintendo's new console as a launch title on June 5.Split Fiction on Switch 2 and SwitchIn a blog post detailing Split Fiction's Nintendo Switch 2 features, EA confirmed that Switch owners will be able to receive and play the game locally alongside a Switch 2 user.“GameShare will enable Nintendo Switch 2 owners to invite another player to play together over a local wireless connection using just one copy of the game. This "other player" can be not only a Nintendo Switch 2 owner but a Nintendo Switch owner as well,” the blog post read.Earlier when EA had announced Split Fiction for the Switch successor, it had said the co-op title could only be shared with another player on their Nintendo Switch 2.It's worth noting that Nintendo, too, has said that only Switch 1 compatible games can be shared to the hybrid console from a Switch 2. “Only Nintendo Switch 2 systems can share games, but any Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch can receive them. Nintendo Switch systems can only receive games that are compatible with Nintendo Switch,” the page explaining GameShare feature on the Nintendo website reads.EA's confirmation on Split Fiction being playable on the Switch via GameShare, however, runs contradictory to Nintendo's description, as the game will not be native to the Nintendo Switch. The game has been announced for the Switch 2 but is not launching on the original Switch.Split Fiction is also confirmed to support Friend's Pass and Cross Play on the Nintendo Switch 2. Friend's Pass, a feature in Hazelight Studios' co-op games, lets two players play the game together online, with only one of those players needing to own a copy. With cross play, players will be able to experience the game together across PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X and Nintendo Switch 2 with the help of an EA account.Switch 2 pre-orders for Split Fiction will begin on April 24, with the game priced at $49.99. It will release on the Switch 2 as a launch-day title on June 5. Split Fiction launched on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X on March 6Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details. KEY SPECSNEWSGenre Action-AdventurePlatform PlayStation 5 (PS5), Xbox Series S/X, PC: WindowsModes Single-playerPEGI Rating 16+More Electronic Arts Games For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube. Further reading: Split Fiction, Nintendo Switch 2, Switch 2, Nintendo, Nintendo Switch, EA, Hazelight Studios Manas Mitul In his time as a journalist, Manas Mitul has written on a wide spectrum of beats including politics, culture and sports. He enjoys reading, walking around in museums and rewatching films. Talk to Manas about football and tennis, but maybe don’t bring up his video game backlog. More Related Stories

10 Mind-Blowing Everyday Uses of AI (That You Haven’t Tried Yet)Depanjan Chowdhury·Follow4 min read·Just now--Artificial Intelligence is no longer a sci-fi fantasy or a tech-exclusive secret. It’s in your pocket, on your desk, and soon, possibly, in your fridge. While most people associate ChatGPT AI with writing emails or drafting resumes, there are dozens of everyday AI use cases that go far beyond the chatbot hype.In this blog, we uncover 10 mind-blowing and practical ways you can integrate AI into your daily life — no coding, no PhD required. Whether you’re looking for health upgrades, smarter shopping, or better productivity, AI is here to make it easier, faster, and more personalized.And yes, some of these ideas can be enhanced using the right ChatGPT prompts, especially the all in one ChatGPT prompts that power up your requests.1. AI-Powered Nutrition CoachingWant to eat better without hiring a dietitian? Apps like Lumen, ZOE, or MyFitnessPal with AI integrations use machine learning to analyze your food habits and metabolic patterns. These tools suggest personalized meal plans based on your goals, allergies, and past behavior — far more accurate than generic diet templates.Bonus: You can also use a ChatGPT prompt to build a weekly grocery list or get meal ideas based on your AI-generated nutrition targets.

An AI investment and networking event, Machines Can See, will take place April 23-24 in Dubai at the iconic Museum of the Future, as part of Dubai AI week. Machines Can See is staged by the Polynome Group, a machine vision, AI, robotic, and industrial design company based in the city. This is the third year of the event, and will bring investors, business leaders, and policymakers together to explore AI-centric expansion opportunities. Machines Can See, as the name suggests, will have a particular focus on computer vision. Each discussion and keynote is designed to be firmly rooted in practical applications of AI technology, but organisers hope that the show will be permeated with a sense of discovery and that attendees will be able to explore the possibilities of the tech on show. “We are not just shaping the future of AI, we are defining how AI shapes the world,” said Alexander Khanin, head of the Polynome Group. UAE Government officials attending the event include H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, and H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, the Director General of Digital Dubai. Polynome Group has said that X will be the official streaming partner for Machines Can See 2025, and the US company will host workshops titled “X and AI” to show solutions that merge AI and streaming technologies, with GRok X central to those sessions. Via interactive demos, attendees will gain firsthand experience of GRok’s potential in AI delivery, analysis and optimisation. Investment and business opportunities UAE’s AI market is projected to grow by $8.4 billion in the next two years, and the summit is designed to serve as a venue for investors to engage with AI startups, existing enterprises, and government decision-makers. Attendees at Machines Can See will get to meet with investors and venture capital firms, be given the opportunity to meet executives from AI companies (including IBM and Amazon), and connect with startups seeking investment. The summit is supported by Amazon Prime Video & Studios, Amazon Web Services, Dubai Police, MBZUAI, IBM, SAP, Adia Lab, QuantumBlack and Yango. The involvement of many organisations and large-scale enterprises should provide many opportunities for funding and collaborations that extend the commercial use of AI. Local and international investors include Eddy Farhat, Executive Director at e& capital, Faris Al Mazrui, Head of Growth Investments at Mubadala, Major General Khalid Nasser Alrazooqi General Director of Artificial Intelligence, Dubai Police UEA, and Dr. Najwa Aaraj, the CEO of TII. Speakers and insights The summit will feature several US-based AI professionals, including Namik Hrle, IBM Fellow and Vice President of Development at the IBM Software Group, Michael Bronstein, DeepMind Professor of AI at Oxford University, Marc Pollefeys, Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zurich, Gerard Medioni, VP and Distinguished Scientist at Amazon Prime Video & Studio, and Deva Ramanan, Professor at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University. The event will feature a ministerial session composed of international government representatives to discuss the role of national IT development. Among speakers already confirmed for the event are Gobind Singh Deo, Malaysia’s Minister of Digital, H.E. Zhaslan Madiyev, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, and H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications. Event organisers expect to announce more representatives from overseas in the coming days. Read more here.