Today’s Solutions: November 15, 2024

Science

From mathematics and AI to medicine and psychology, The Optimist Daily features the latest news on discoveries, technological advances, and breakthroughs in the world of science. Our Science section is here to engage and enlighten you.

Image of M.xanthus swarms at 10 times magnification.

This bacteria looks just like Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'

Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh is known as one of the greatest post-impressionists to ever live; most famous for his ingenious use of complementary colors to create the eye catching and emotional masterpieces loved globally. Researchers were recently reminded of his legacy by a type of bacteria Read More...

Black woman sits next to her luggage in the airport with sandwich and a coffee

This US airport's fleet of autonomous robots deliver food to travelers

Considering the interconnectivity of our world, for some, air travel is a necessity. That said, with the pandemic, the more that travelers can physically distance, the better. For those at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, maintaining a safe distance from others is even easier Read More...

Car on an icy road

More cities are using beets to beat icy winter roads

Many cities with harsh winters turn to salt to melt ice and make roads safer, but while this helps out drivers, it doesn’t do the environment any favors. Fifteen to 17 million tons of road salt are used on US roadways each winter, contaminating waterways and natural ecosystems while degrading Read More...

a millipede on dry sand

Researchers finally discover millipede that actually has 1000 legs

If you have any knowledge of Latin, then you may know that the adorable critter known as the “millipede” gets its name from the Latin words for thousand which is “mille” and for foot which is “pes.” So, you may be surprised to find out that no millipede with more than 750 legs has ever Read More...

Factory with polluting emissions with ocean in the background

New technology uses seawater to remove carbon from the atmosphere

The ocean absorbs about a third of the CO2 that humans create when burning fossil fuels. While that’s good news for the air, capturing so much extra carbon dioxide makes ocean waters more acidic, harming marine life. Enter Ebb Carbon, a startup that wants to reinforce the ocean’s ability to Read More...

Woman wears virtual reality headset

Virtual reality may just revolutionize how neuroscientists study the brain

A team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany is using virtual reality to help us shed some light on one of the world’s greatest mysteries: emotions and our human brains. For years, researchers have struggled to figure out how Read More...

Sun in the sky with clouds

NASA officially touches the sun for the first time

NASA’s Perseverance rover isn’t the only mission making headlines this week. According to scientists, the Parker Solar Probe has officially touched the sun for the first time. The solar probe has come close to the sun several times over the past few months, but had yet to be successful. Read More...

Mars Perseverance Rover

Perseverance rover uncovers something “completely unexpected”

The Perseverance rover landed on Mars at the start of 2021. That December, researchers announced that the craft has discovered something “completely unexpected” on the red planet. At the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, mission scientists announced that rocks which were previously Read More...

Black German Shepard in training.

New study finds dogs can understand 89 unique words and phrases

A number of animals that have no ability to speak the English language still have the incredible insight to actually understand what we are saying. This includes our beloved household friend, the dog. We’ve all witnessed the furry animals react and respond with overwhelming excitement when we Read More...

T cells attacking cancer cell.

The link between asthma and brain tumors revealed

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that is painful and inconvenient. People with the illness suffer from inflamed airways which become narrow, making it difficult to breathe, talk, and be active. Despite these downsides, sufferers may have just caught a lucky break, with a new study linking people Read More...