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.
Mathematical visitation law can predict urban movement anywhere in the world
The hustle and bustle of city streets may seem like a random and chaotic movement of people, but researchers have discovered that this movement can in fact be predicted with a mathematical equation─a discovery that could hold implications for the study of disease and city planning. The model Read More...
Mysterious plant finally named 50 years after discovery
New plants are given scientific names based on which family they fit into, or which plants they share physical characteristics in. Generally Latin-based, these plant names are used internationally to identify flora, but sometimes this naming process isn’t so simple. A new plant with bright orange Read More...
3 ways content creators can make social media more constructive
According to a recently released Wall Street Journal report, 32 percent of teen girls report that Instagram makes them feel worse when they feel bad about their bodies. Although social media can have detrimental effects on everyone’s self-image, this phenomenon is particularly damaging for young Read More...
This breakthrough material could help prevent our devices from overheating
Preventing our electronic devices from overheating is a major challenge for manufacturers. Currently, the way they control that is by using materials that either conduct or insulate heat. That, however, is becoming increasingly difficult as electronics continue to shrink, leaving much less room for Read More...
German plant will be world’s largest synthetic kerosene producer
Synthetic kerosene is made by using water and electricity to produce hydrogen, which is then combined with carbon dioxide to make crude oil, which is then refined into jet fuel. A new plant in Germany plans to be the largest synthetic kerosene producer in the world, using water and electricity from Read More...
Online platform is the first fully virtual treatment option for eating disorders
An estimated 30 million Americans struggle with an eating disorder, yet many patients are reluctant to admit they have an issue and even more hesitant to seek treatment due to stigmas surrounding mental health care. After a spike in eating disorders during the pandemic, psychiatrist Dr. Wendy Read More...
This device makes clean clothes accessible anywhere
Wearing a clean set of clothes is not just about hygiene. It’s about dignity. Putting on clean clothing in the morning can help you feel more confident and empower you to put your best foot forward. Unfortunately, without access to clean clothing, respect from others can be hard to come Read More...
Anonymously report harassment of AAPI individuals with this online tool
A report released last month by the nonprofit Orange County Human Relations Commission found a 69 percent increase in the total number of hate incidents reported in 2020 versus 2019 in Orange County alone. Of the 263 reported cases, there was a 1,800 percent increase in anti-Asian incidents—but Read More...
Nobel Prize in physics awarded to climate research pioneers
Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann, and Giorgio Parisi have spent the last 60 years decoding complex physical systems to predict how climate change is impacting our world. Now, their work has been rewarded with the Nobel Prize in physics. Manabe and Hasselmann, who are 90 and 89 years old, Read More...
Lidar allows researchers to tell how fat a bear really isーfrom a distance
Last week we celebrated the launch of Fat Bear Week 2021. You can check out the lineup of chunky contestants here, but today, we’re looking at some of the science behind these giant creatures. Researchers working in Brooks River in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve are using state of the Read More...