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.
Novel mRNA vaccine offers protection against Lyme disease
According to the CDC, there are around 30,000 Lyme disease infections reported in the US every year. This number is likely to be much higher, with estimations of actual infections being eight to 10 times more than those recorded. The little critters responsible for the disease are blacklegged ticks Read More...
Using black holes to study the expansion of the universe
Scientists have a new hypothesis called “cosmical coupling," which will potentially give more clues into how our mysterious world operates. The widely accepted theory about the origin of the universe is the Big Bang. It states that when the explosion occurred, the universe expanded outwards and Read More...
Scientists confirm: Grandmas really do love their grandchildren a lot
Even though many of us already have a strong inkling that our grandmas love us, it’s always nice to get confirmation. The researchers explored the brains of 50 grandmothers while they were shown an array of photographs—some were snaps of their grandchildren, while the rest of them were Read More...
Royal Air Force completes world's first flight powered by synthetic fuel
Earlier this month, Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) set a Guinness World Record for completing the world’s first flight that was powered entirely by synthetic fuel. According to a government press release, senior test pilot Group Captain Peter Hackett took off from Cotswold Airport on the Read More...
Apple to make self-repair parts, tools, and manuals available to customers
Following growing pressure from right-to-repair advocates, Apple has announced that it will begin selling spare parts and tools to allow the general public to repair their devices at home. Under the new program, customers can buy parts and access manuals to repair their own iPhones and Mac Read More...
AI has helped design the chickpea of all chickpeas
AI has helped humans achieve a lot of things; from predicting seizures, to completing Beethoven’s unfinished 10th Symphony. Its latest endeavor: designing the ultimate chickpea. Although these pulses are a thoroughly understood crop, the genome of most varieties is not well sequenced. An Read More...
The DogPhone allows dogs to call their owners while they're out
Dog owners know that even though their furry companions can’t speak, they all find unique and innovative ways to communicate with their humans. Now, researchers have developed a device, nicknamed the DogPhone, which offers a way for canines at home to reach their owners while they’re Read More...
'Superionic' ice: New state of matter discovered
We all learned in school that there are three different states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. What if we told you this was untrue, and in fact, scientists have identified 20 phases of water. This is dependent on the pressure and temperature the H2O is under, causing an array of different ways Read More...
Breakthrough “dancing” molecules study reverses paralysis in mice
Professor Samuel I. Stupp of Northwestern University led a breakthrough study that reversed paralysis and repaired grave spinal cord injuries in mice. Just four weeks after receiving a single injection of the novel treatment, the mice remarkably regained their ability to walk. “Our research Read More...
Planners reimagine former coal power plant into a 15-minute neighborhood
As countries around the world make net-zero pledges in a bid to tackle climate change, many are phasing out coal as part of their green energy transition. This means that there’s an increasing need to find new uses for former or soon-to-retire coal plants. With that said, there are already a few Read More...