Today’s Solutions: January 01, 2025

Evergreen

Laughing couple eating sandwiches. Close-up.

Study: Eating dinner early can help you lower blood sugar and burn fat

Conventional wisdom is that a calorie is a calorie, no matter when you eat it, and that weight gain is caused by eating more calories than you use. Nutritionists call this the calories in, calories out theory of weight control. But it might not be as simple as that. New research discovers that Read More...

Backyard with clover lawn

Why a clover lawn is so much better than a grass lawn

Americans use more than 7 billion gallons of water a day on their lawns. Over half of that doesn't even help lawns. People overwater, which is bad for the grass. Some water just evaporates or runs into sewers, carrying pesticides with it. That's a pretty heavy environmental cost. "But people like Read More...

A plant audience in a theatre.

Opera house performs first post-lockdown concert for an all-plant audience

In June 2020, Barcelona’s Liceu Opera House emerged from its lockdown-induced siesta by throwing a concert to a rather unusual audience. The attendees did not need masks or gloves in the middle of the pandemic, nor did they be required to follow physical distancing rules. However, they did Read More...

Young depressed asian woman hug her friend for encouragement.

Johns Hopkins is offering a free online course in psychological first aid

The pandemic caused a significant rise in anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Isolation, combined with health concerns, social justice frustrations, and economic uncertainty took its toll on all of us. With this in mind, researchers from  Johns Hopkins University started offering Read More...

San Francisco police won’

San Francisco police won't send officers to respond to non-criminal calls

Cities across the US are finally seeing some tangible police reform and defunding changes. San Francisco is joining the movement with their recent announcement that police officers will be replaced with trained, unarmed professionals to respond to calls for help on non-criminal matters involving Read More...

perfect blue eye macro in a sterile environment and perfect vision.

New bionic eye could restore sight and even offer night vision

As we’ve talked about on The Optimist Daily, prosthesis technology has come a long way in recent years, but the human eye has always been difficult to replicate. Now, scientists have designed a prototype for the first 3D artificial bionic eye, which could let users see better than with the real Read More...

Scientists map an entire ancie

Scientists map an entire ancient Roman city using only radar technology

We have previously written about how high-tech laser scanners have enabled scientists to discover the oldest and largest known structure built by the Mayans. Equipped with similar state-of-the-art technology, a group of archaeologists has managed to map an entire ancient Roman city while it’s Read More...

This 9-year-old Kenyan boy bui

This 9-year-old Kenyan boy built a hand-washing machine to fight COVID-19

We have to give credit where it's due when we see ingenuity making a difference in communities. In Kenya, a nine-year-old boy has made a wooden hand-washing machine to help curb the spread of coronavirus. The machine allows users to tip a bucket of water using a foot pedal to avoid touching Read More...

Sign of Paypal at Paypal 's headquarters in Silicon Valley.

PayPal commits to invest $530 million to support minority-owned businesses

Along with elected officials, corporate leaders also have an important role to play when it comes to addressing racial inequality. Now, in the wake of worldwide protests against racial injustice, some of the world’s biggest corporate players are stepping in to support action against this societal Read More...

one of the 2.1 kW systems Native Renewables installed for a family on the Navajo reservation. The system is able to power an energy star rated refrigerator, lights, and small electronics.

A female-led energy company is bringing green power to the Navajo Nation

The Rural Electrification Act of 1936 aimed to erase energy access disparities across the US but left out Native American tribes throughout the country. Lack of energy access still plagues these communities today. According to the American Public Power Association, Native American communities Read More...