Education
Great minds lead to great solutions. Our education section features solutions and innovations directed at strengthening educational systems around the world.
Wild tortoises live a long time, and some don’t age at all
The oldest living land animal in the world is named Jonathan, and he is a 190-year-old Seychelles giant tortoise. Jonathan and other cold-blooded species like his are famous for living outstandingly long lives. They age incredibly slowly, and new research suggests that some might not age at Read More...
Tortoise discovered in a home in Pompeii
Almost 2000 years after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and its trapping of the city of Pompeii in time, archaeologists are still making discoveries in the ash-frozen city. They have recently found chariots, pieced together ancient frescoes, and even charted the genome of one of the frozen Pompeiians. Read More...
Fragrances after desert rainstorms may have health benefits
If you’ve ever lived in the Southwestern United States, you know the calming smell of the desert after a rainstorm. The earth and desert flora like creosote emit an aroma after rain unlike anything else. They also, as it turns out, have health benefits for those smelling them. Researchers Read More...
Education and contraceptives most effective in reducing abortion rates
The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade, a 50-year-old ruling that the Constitution of the United States would protect the rights of a pregnant person's liberty to safe and legal abortion, will undoubtedly have a strong ripple effect that expands outside the nation of the US. In Read More...
Get healthy, go to a green space
We decided to revamp a couple of stories on the benefits of green spaces, for which there is an ever-growing body of evidence. NPR’s Aaron Scott recently spoke with environmental psychologist Ming Kuo on green spaces and why we all seem to feel better walking down a city street lined with Read More...
Some people have improved cognition while on a walk
While the large majority of us work sitting at a desk, we’ve all had those flashes of insight or a string of new ideas while running or on a walk. It’s probably too much to ask that people do their jobs running on a treadmill, but new research shows some have improved cognition while Read More...
More on beavers and rewilding
We decided to dust off and update this innovative solution to restoring habitats with the most industrious aquatic mammal: beavers. At The Optimist Daily, we’ve written a great deal about the benefits beavers bring to their environment and the importance of restoring their populations in Read More...
Exclusive version of Minecraft helps kids with autism learn social skills
The popular video game Minecraft isn’t usually considered a tool that can help people improve social skills and learn how to build relationships—in fact, many people consider playing video games an antisocial activity. However, the opposite is true of Autcraft, an online version of Minecraft Read More...
Billionaires aren’t cool anymore in the eyes of the public and the planet
Consumerism and capitalism have been driving forces for the growth of wealth and the expansion of world economies. However, a study led by psychologists at the University of Bath has shown the pitfalls of these systems and that they have had dire consequences for the health of the planet and its Read More...
Unique Viking shipyard gives new insights into their way of life
Past civilizations are fascinating, knowing how our ancient ancestors lived, what innovations they developed and how history played out to lead to us reading this article is mind-blowing. The Vikings are one of these past influential societies that were around in the Middle Ages and were known for Read More...