Lifestyle
Alongside taking care of other people and the planet, make sure you take good care of yourself. The Lifestyle section at the Optimist Daily has solutions for everyday wellbeing on topics like food, beauty, fashion, and the latest trends. Curious about caring for houseplants, eating plant-based, or parenting tips? It’s all in there.
Renewable energy can improve lives of agri-food chain poor
A new study has described the role renewable energy can have in elevating the livelihoods of the millions of rural poor, specifically in terms of the impact it can have on the billions of people employed in the agri-food chain. Released over the weekend at the International Off-grid Renewable Read More...
Billionaire investor Draper leads $4.2 million funding in U.S. blockchain start-up
Texas-based Factom, Inc., a blockchain technology company that secures data, said on Wednesday it has raised $4.2 million in financing from a slew of global investors led by billionaire investor Tim Draper. Blockchain technology powers the digital currency bitcoin and enables data-sharing across a Read More...
Resurrecting Colombia’s peace deal
By narrowly rejecting an agreement between the government of Colombia and the nation’s largest guerrilla group, Colombian voters have thrown a four-year-long peace process into turmoil. There may still be a chance of renegotiating the terms of the deal to end the brutal 52-year insurgency, Read More...
Lock-up to library: France reinvents its decrepit prisons
The ad on the French finance ministry website is deadpan and succinct: "For sale: late 19th century prison in the centre of Grasse, 1,277.42 square metres (13,750 square feet). No garage or parking space. Needs renovating." Prospective buyers of the site in southeast France are required to lodge a Read More...
Meditation keeps emotional brain in check
Meditation can help tame your emotions even if you're not a mindful person, suggests a new study from Michigan State University. Reporting in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, psychology researchers recorded the brain activity of people looking at disturbing pictures immediately after Read More...
Stop Brexit and save the EU
“Never let a crisis go to waste” has always been one of the European Union’s guiding principles. What about five simultaneous crises? Today, the EU faces what Frans Timmermans, the European commission vice-president, describes as a “multi-crisis”: Brexit, refugee Read More...
In a departure, pedestrians in Moscow actually heed traffic laws
Moscow still has huge traffic jams at rush hour and, according to TomTom, a Dutch company that compiles an annual survey of global traffic conditions, is now the world’s fifth most congested city. But this is a big improvement over just a few years ago, when Moscow beat out Mexico City, Read More...
Got bitcoin? Despite early setbacks, some say it is stronger than ever
From the beginning, the concept has been alluring if not utopian. Imagine a currency that is not tied to the whims of politicians, the foibles of central bankers, or the fortunes of a particular country. Rather than relying on a government to mint a currency, users could "mine" their own bitcoin by Read More...
'Hello? This is Deepak. I want you to relax and think of rose petals'
Meditating has always been about unplugging, finding a quiet place with no distractions and experiencing a few minutes of solitude. But a new way of meditating, courtesy of famed doctor and self-help author Deepak Chopra, flips that notion on its head. In his re-imagining, instead of disconnecting, Read More...
Is a vacation or meditation the key to stress relief?
The stress of daily life makes you long for a break. While sitting in traffic on the freeway, you may dream about sitting under a palm tree drinking pina coladas or reclining on your chaise next to a sparkling infinity pool. Your shoulders may automatically drop down and tension release from your Read More...