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.
Study: Scientists store energy in biohybrid plants with electronic roots
Scientists at Sweden’s Linköping University have recently demonstrated how plant roots can be used as viable energy storage devices. The team’s experiment involved watering bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris) with a special solution that made the roots electrically conductive, demonstrating the Read More...
Who spilled the tea? The answer is physics
The science behind an important unexplained everyday occurrence in our world has finally been described. Called the “teapot effect," it refers to an experience many of us have probably had: We go to pour a piping hot beverage out of a teapot too slowly, and end up with unwanted tea all over the Read More...
Researchers finally teach robots how to master the challenge of doors
Turns out that if you want to stop a looming robot take over of the planet, put a door in front of them. An aerospace engineering professor at the University of Cincinnati (UC), Ou Ma explains, "Robots can do many things, but if you want one to open a door by itself and go through the doorway, Read More...
US infrastructure bill sets its sights on the end of drunk driving
Among funding for increased bike paths, roadside green spaces, and improved roadways in the newly-passed $1 trillion US infrastructure bill is another critical safety measure. The Transportation Department has issued a new requirement for car companies in the bill: a mandate to develop tech Read More...
Earth's deepest earthquake finally explained
An earthquake recorded in the Bonin Islands off mainland Japan in 2015 caused a minor aftershock. No damage was done, and no one even noticed its occurrence. Little did residents know the deepest earthquake ever recorded had just happened below. For years after the event, scientists were left Read More...
How inflammation plays a role in our efforts to slow climate change
It really feels like climate change is getting more imminent by the day. With every other headline about how temperature levels are rising, animals are going extinct, and companies aren’t reaching their promised quotas, fear, stress, and anxiety over climate change can be extremely overwhelming Read More...
This ATM helps Kenyans switch from charcoal to eco-friendly fuel
In Kenya, most people use wood or charcoal to cook in small homes without proper ventilation, and exposure to charcoal smoke causes a myriad of health problems for users and their families. On top of the grave health issues, charcoal use is also to blame for deforestation, another contributor to Read More...
NASA's multi-pronged approach to the next 10 years of space exploration
The Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey is carried out every decade to discuss and prioritize upcoming projects of federal agencies and policymakers for the next 10 years. A panel of global experts is carefully curated by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine to come Read More...
Human's most rapid danger detection system is right under our nose
Organisms all over the animal kingdom can do extraordinary things. Each utilizes a particular sense or skill to be perfectly adapted to their environment. Many of them have a keen sense of smell which can lead them to food, detect other animals, and steer them away from potential danger, with Read More...
These ants can transform from worker to queen with one single gene
The social dynamics of ant colonies are complex setups, requiring sophisticated mathematical models to map them out. There is a strict hierarchy of jobs that are determined by age: sterile workers, reproductive males, and reproducing queens. Under this hierarchy, the colonies' main collective goal Read More...