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.
The enduring optimism of Star Trek
“It isn't all over; everything has not been invented; the human adventure is just beginning.” - Gene Roddenberry Something kind of magical happened this week and we wanted to take a moment to celebrate. One of the entertainment world’s most famous space explorers actually traveled into Read More...
These bike garages in Denmark are made from recycled wind turbine blades
While wind turbines play an important role in our transition towards a post-carbon world, they do pose a few environmental concerns. For example, most of the wind turbines operating today have a lifespan of about 20 years, which means that a large number of these gigantic pieces of machinery will Read More...
This 3D-printed device is the most advanced wearable design yet
From watches that capture our heart rate to sweat-powered devices, wearable technology has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years. This doesn’t only hold implications for your personal workout routine. Researchers from the University of Arizona have come up with 3D-printed wearable Read More...
Drug derived from Himalayan fungus shows potency for killing cancer cells
A new study spearheaded by Professor Sarah Blagden and Dr. Hagen Schwenzer, researchers from the University of Oxford, in collaboration with biopharmaceutical company NuCana, has led to a novel chemotherapy drug that demonstrates significant potency in killing cancer cells. The new drug, called Read More...
Ocean Cleanup Project reports successful trial of its newest and largest system
From ocean trash capture systems to innovative river barges, The Ocean Cleanup Project is dedicated to cleaning our waterways of pollution. In recent years, the organization has focused on scaling up its solutions to address massive areas of pollution, like the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Their Read More...
Nobel prize awarded for work demonstrating benefits of raising minimum wage
US-based economist David Card is one of this year’s recipients of the Nobel prize for economics, awarded for his work which helps answer one of the field’s most contested ideas surrounding minimum wage. Card is Canadian born but based at the University of California, Berkeley. So what Read More...
Can you develop a food allergy as an adult? New study says ‘yes’
Those who grew up with food allergies are used to reading food labels and asking about ingredients at restaurants, but did you know that you can develop food allergies at any age? A new study, currently under review, finds that 52 percent of American adults with a food allergy developed one or more Read More...
US reported record solar power growth in 2020
We’ve previously written about how renewables outpaced fossil fuels in Europe for the first time in 2020. Now, new data demonstrates how US renewables, specifically solar, also thrived despite the challenges of a global pandemic. Last year, the US built more utility-scale solar power plants Read More...
Birmingham switches gears from car-centric to low-traffic
Birmingham, the second-largest city in the UK, has announced a revolutionary transport plan designed to lower CO2 emissions and make the city more livable by transforming it from a car-centric area into a super-sized low-traffic neighborhood. The city currently has a population of 1.2 million Read More...
All cars sold in Norway could be electric by next April
Last year, Norway made huge progress in its transition away from fossil fuels, as more than 54 percent of all car sales in Norway were electric. That number skyrocketed in September, when 9 in 10 cars sold in the Scandinavian country were either electric or rechargeable hybrids, according to the Read More...