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.
Dublin expands car-free zones to improve bus travel and city life
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Dublin is taking further steps to reduce private car traffic in its city centre, with new restrictions set to take effect this summer as part of the next phase of the Dublin City Transport Plan. Following the success of last August’s initial Read More...
Splitting seawater could revolutionize cement into a carbon-negative material
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the race to tackle climate change, cement has long been a stubborn problem. Responsible for about eight percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, it’s the fourth-largest source of CO2 pollution worldwide. But a team of researchers believes a new, Read More...
Citizen scientists map space from their backyards with this global telescope network
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the quiet suburb of Monterrey, Mexico, Iván Venzor sat down for dinner with his family while a telescope just a few meters away captured something extraordinary—a distant Jupiter-sized planet briefly passing in front of a star. The flicker of light was Read More...
Super small dissolvable pacemaker offers safer, simpler heart treatment
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a brilliant medical innovation, researchers developed the smallest known pacemaker—smaller than a grain of rice—that dissolves in the body once its job is done. Detailed in the journal Nature, this biodegradable, injectable device could revolutionize Read More...
Tiny sparks, massive implications: how water droplets may have ignited life on earth
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Could the origin of life have begun not with a bolt from the blue but with something far smaller? According to a new study from Stanford University, tiny electrical sparks known as "microlightning," created by interactions between water droplets, may have Read More...
California's first wildfire-resilient neighborhood in Escondido
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In response to California's escalating wildfire threat, homebuilder KB Home has launched what it calls the first "wildfire-resilient" housing development in the state. Located in Escondido, just outside San Diego, the new community is designed to meet Read More...
Antarctic fossil reveals clues about the oldest known modern bird
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM At the dramatic close of the Cretaceous Period, 66 million years ago, an asteroid slammed into Earth's Yucatán Peninsula, wiping out most dinosaurs. But birds, remarkably, managed to survive. Now, an extraordinary fossil discovered in Antarctica might Read More...
Finland races ahead in clean energy: coal phase-out arrives four years early
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a remarkable step toward a fossil-free future, Finland effectively phased out coal as a source of electricity generation—four years ahead of its 2029 target. The closure of the Salmisaari coal plant in Helsinki on April 1 marks the latest and most Read More...
California leads the way as EV charging ports outnumber gas nozzles
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM California achieved a significant milestone in its transition to electric vehicles (EVs). As of 2024, the Golden State already had 178,500 electric vehicle charging ports—outnumbering the state's estimated 120,000 gas nozzles. This shift marks a critical Read More...
New cat color unlocked: ’salty liquorice' sheds light on feline genetics
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a surprising turn for feline genetics, scientists have officially identified a new cat coat color that defies traditional classifications. Named salmiak—after the salty liquorice candy popular in Finland—this unique coat starts as black at the root and Read More...