Jio Platforms, the digital arm of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, has launched a virtual desktop service for set-top box users. This means that India’s richest man, Reliance’s chairman Mukesh Ambani, hopes to turn millions of TVs in the world’s most populous country into PCs.

Called JioPC, the service offers a cloud-based PC experience through Jio’s set-top box, which comes bundled for free with the telco’s home broadband service or can be purchased separately for ₹5,499 ($64). Currently in free trial and available via waitlist, users can access the virtual desktop on their TV by plugging in a keyboard and mouse once they receive an invite and set up their account.

At present, the service has some limitations, including no support for external peripherals, such as cameras and printers. Similarly, it supports open source LibreOffice, which is pre-installed. To use Microsoft Office apps, users need to access them via the available browser.

Plastics are a prevalent and persistent pollutant in the environment. As plastic production increases, finding ways to degrade these recalcitrant polymers is paramount. Many terrestrial fungi, across the kingdom, degrade various types of plastic. Plastics are the fastest-growing habitat in the oceans, and we hypothesized that fungi isolated from the ocean would demonstrate high success rates in degrading polyurethane (PU). To test this, visual degradation assays were performed by inoculating 1% PU medium with 68 different fungal strains cultured from marine habitats. The area of clearance of the fungus was measured periodically, to determine a relative degradation rate. Of the 68 fungal strains, 42 demonstrated the ability to degrade PU.

Learn about GenAI Processors, a new open-source Python library for building powerful and flexible Gemini applications with streamlined, real-time multimodal processing.

New details were shared months after a home exploded in Leland, North Carolina earlier this year.

A lab experiment that simulated Mars conditions showed that green algae can grow in plastic containers made from the same algae, setting the stage for a self-sustaining system to build habitats on the planet

If humans are ever going to live beyond Earth, they’ll need to construct habitats. But transporting enough industrial material to create livable spaces would be incredibly challenging and expensive. Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) think there’s a better way, through biology.

An international team of researchers led by Robin Wordsworth, the Gordon McKay Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering and Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, have demonstrated that they can grow green algae inside shelters made out of bioplastics in Mars-like conditions. The experiments are a first step toward designing sustainable habitats in space that won’t require bringing materials from Earth.

In lab experiments that recreated the thin atmosphere of Mars, Wordsworth’s team grew a common type of green algae called Dunaliella tertiolecta. The algae thrived inside a 3D-printed growth chamber made from a bioplastic called polylactic acid, which was able to block UV radiation while transmitting enough light to allow the algae to photosynthesize.

The algae was kept under a Mars-like 600 Pascals of atmospheric pressure – over 100 times lower than Earth’s — and in a carbon dioxide-rich environment, as opposed to mostly nitrogen and oxygen like on Earth. Liquid water cannot exist at such low pressures, but the bioplastic chamber created a pressure gradient that stabilized water within it. The experiments point to bioplastics as potentially key to creating renewable systems for maintaining life in a lifeless environment.

The concept the researchers demonstrated is closer to how organisms grow naturally on Earth, and it contrasts with an industrial approach using materials that are costly to manufacture and recycle.

The intricate, hidden processes that sustain coral life are being revealed through a new microscope developed by scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

The diver-operated microscope —called the Benthic Underwater Microscope imaging PAM, or BUMP—incorporates pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) light techniques to offer an unprecedented look at coral photosynthesis on micro-scales.

In a new study, researchers describe how the BUMP imaging system makes it possible to study the health and physiology of coral reefs in their natural habitat, advancing longstanding efforts to uncover precisely why corals bleach.

A new method shows fish can learn and strategize in their natural habitats, challenging long-held views based on lab studies. For years, scientists have underestimated the intelligence of fish, often relying on lab-based studies that don’t reflect how these animals behave in their natural environ

In a recent expedition, researchers drilled more than 1,600 feet into the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and discovered a subglacial river flowing beneath the Ross Ice Shelf, per Earth.com.

The river, about as tall as a 30-story building and as wide as a city block, is a blend of freshwater and seawater, slowly making its way toward the ocean.

“We struck water at the end of the borehole and with the help of our camera, we even discovered a school of lobster-like creatures — 400 kilometers from the open ocean,” expedition leader Huw Horgan said.

SpaceX is making significant advancements in its Starship program, with plans for increased production, upcoming Mars missions, and ongoing developments in technology and infrastructure, despite facing some challenges ## ## Questions to inspire discussion.

Q: What is SpaceX’s target for Starship launches to Mars in 2026? A: SpaceX aims to launch 5 Starships to Mars in 2026, with Elon Musk estimating a 50/50 chance of meeting the 2026 Mars window.

Q: Which region on Mars is the primary landing target? A: The Arcadia region is the top candidate for landing locations due to its large ice deposits. Mission Objectives.

Q: What is the main goal of the first Starship flight to Mars? A: The first flight aims to prove the ability to reach Mars by sending minimum viable vehicles to maximize learning and demonstrate key technologies.

Q: What are the objectives for the second Starship flight to Mars? A: The second flight will focus on landing initial infrastructure, confirming resource availability, preparing landing areas, and delivering equipment for future human missions. Resource Utilization.

Q: What are the key goals for the third Starship flight to Mars? A: The third flight will prioritize resource mining, propellant generation, road and pad construction, habitat building, and increasing power generation and storage.