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.
Ocean-exploring autonomous robot is inspired by penguins
Though humans have marveled and studied the ocean for thousands of years, much of it remains a mystery to us. One of those mysteries is ocean eddies, small ocean currents that impact the planet’s climate and therefore all life on earth. What we do know is that ocean eddies are responsible for Read More...
Paris lowers the speed limit on most city streets
Pedestrians and cyclists in Paris are welcoming a new policy that will restrict the speed limit on nearly all streets in the French capital to just 30 kph, down from 50 kph. The law is the latest move by the municipality to advance the city closer to its climate targets and transform people’s Read More...
Poll shows significant drop in vaccine hesitancy among Americans
Back in March 2021, 34 percent of Americans reported being “unlikely to take the Covid-19 vaccine.” A new Axios-Ipsos poll demonstrates that the rise of the Delta variant combined with increased vaccine efficacy research and FDA approval is successfully making the American public more Read More...
A solution to greener homes could be right underneath our feet
Swiss researchers from the Wood Materials Science Laboratory at the ETH Zürich and the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology in Dübendorf are working on an exciting new way to generate energy that requires us to simply move around our own homes and buildings. The Read More...
Community-level big data offers a clearer picture of disaster resiliency
Hurricane Ida has demonstrated once again how chaotic the days after a natural disaster can be. Relief organizations are often on the ground right away, but determining the extent of damage and displacement can take time, delaying the delivery of essential supplies. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Read More...
Modified prairie grass cleans up munitions chemical pollution
Military conflict takes a significant toll on human life and local infrastructure, but did you know that munitions chemicals can also leach into soil and groundwater, contaminating ecosystems for generations? One specific explosive chemical, called RDX can cause seizures and possibly cancer when it Read More...
This startup helps build solar panels where they’re most needed
Most of the new solar panels that are being built in the US are located in states where the process is easiest or policies are most favorable, instead of where solar could have the biggest impact on reducing CO2 emissions. A Nashville-based startup, called Clearloop, wants to change that by Read More...
‘Nanojars’ can help remove CO2 and other major pollutants from water
While the most common environmental concern regarding carbon dioxide has to do with its greenhouse effects in the atmosphere, a lot of it actually ends up in our oceans, making them more acidic. In a bid to find a solution to this problem, researchers have recently developed “nanojars” that can Read More...
A group of students is using bubbles and robots to clear the world's rivers
Ocean plastic is a persistent problem that endangers wildlife and humans. Around eight to 12 million tons of plastic end up in the sea each year, inspiring projects like The Ocean Cleanup’s trash collecting system and this floating plastic island. However, removing plastic from the ocean is Read More...
Simple tech could store energy by lifting and lowering giant bricks
We’ve previously written about how gravity can serve as an incredible ally in our quest to find viable solutions to storing excess renewable energy. Now, using a similar principle, Swiss startup Energy Vault has come up with a simple technology that can collect excess energy by lifting giant Read More...