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.
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...
French railway company is recycling abandoned trains into new ones
After 40 years of neglect, hundreds of abandoned trains in France are getting a new lease of life. That’s thanks to an initiative from railway company SNCF, which aims to recycle and reuse old trains to manufacture new ones. The company has already kicked off the project in Rouen, in northern Read More...
Gut Instincts—Health and the microbiome
“Our body teaches us that health lies in balance and harmony, rather than in conflict and fighting.” - Ilchi Lee BY Amelia Buckley Whether choosing a sandwich option for lunch or accepting a new job offer, we’re all familiar with gut instincts. Although the term “gut instinct” only Read More...
Formed coalition commits seven countries to ending all new coal power
During a recent UN General Assembly, a coalition of seven countries formed the No New Coal Compact to adhere to Paris Agreement commitments to limit global warming to 1.5°C. The compact calls for all countries to halt the construction of new coal-fired power generation projects by the end of Read More...
Researchers successfully use deep brain stimulation to treat depression
Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, is a technique used to manage Parkinson’s disease and certain types of seizures, but now, researchers have successfully used it to treat depression for the first time. Scientists from the University of California, San Francisco, published a study detailing how they Read More...
Researchers capture first-ever video of the center of a hurricane
None of us, unless we are very unlucky, will ever see first-hand what it looks like at the center of a hurricane. However, new footage from a crewless vessel in the Atlantic Ocean gives us a good idea of what this experience would be like as it has captured some of the only footage from inside a Read More...
Artificial kidneys could one day free patients from dialysis
Currently, the best hope for kidney patients to get off dialysis is to wait for a transplant, but that can sometimes take up to five years and even longer depending on location. That may soon change though, thanks to a new engineering breakthrough from a Bay Area research team, which was recently Read More...
1-in-30 million: Rare orange lobster rescued from Ontario grocery store
Pinchy the lobster is an extraordinary creature that was saved from a very ordinary fate. Unlike other lobsters, Pinchy boasts a bright orange shell that contrasts starkly against its cool colored peers. It sat in the tank amongst other lobsters for two weeks at a grocery store in Ontario’s Read More...
World’s fastest EV charger delivers 100km of range in less than 3 minutes
As EV adoption has soared in recent years, engineers have been hard at work improving charging technologies to put range anxiety to rest, in a bid to convince more potential car buyers to go electric. Now, those technologies are beginning to see the light of day, with the Swiss tech giant ABB Read More...
Upgrade your old cruiser to an electric bike with this easy-to-install kit
If you’re curious about the benefits of an electric bike but lack the needed space or budget to invest in a new cruiser, then Swytch’s e-bike conversion kit might be just what you’re looking for. In addition to being more affordable than buying a new e-bike, the easy-to-install kit also gives Read More...