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.
Scientists attempt to take charge of the weather by electrifying clouds
The United Arab Emirates is finally ready to test out a new method of triggering rain in water-scarce regions that involves jolting clouds with electricity. The plan is to catapult small autopiloted aircraft into the sky that will then get close enough to send an electric charge through the Read More...
NASA schedules first missions to Venus since 1990
We’ve been closely following NASA’s recent excursions to Mars, but the space agency announced this week that it’s getting even more ambitious with its exploration and will be launching two missions to Venus between 2028 and 2030. The last US probe to visit the planet was the Magellan Read More...
This futuristic bus shelter is designed to improve air quality in cities
Air pollution is one of the most pressing public health challenges facing urban areas today, so designing infrastructure that tackles this problem is key to ensuring a sustainable future for our cities. We’ve previously seen such innovations in the form of air-purifying advertising banners, and Read More...
Networks of recycled waste heat to help keep UK homes warm
The heating of homes in the UK accounts for almost a third of the country’s total carbon emissions. This means that finding greener ways to heat homes is key to achieving the government’s goal of bringing emissions down to net-zero by 2050. In an effort to reach that ambitious target, UK Read More...
These ultra-low-cost batteries use CO2 to store renewable energy
While the price for lithium-ion batteries has dropped significantly in recent years, the technology is still a tad too expensive to be the best solution for the long-term storage of renewable energy, most of which is weather-dependent. As such, innovators are looking beyond lithium-based batteries Read More...
NASA image shows the spectacular beauty of the Milky Way’s ‘downtown’
If you ever wondered what the center of our galaxy looks like, you can now satiate your curiosity by checking out a new image from NASA that depicts it in unprecedented detail. The marvelous picture of our galaxy’s violent, super-energized “downtown” (which you can see above) is a composite Read More...
Princeton study lays out 5 pathways to a renewable America
We talk a lot about how the expansion of renewable energy will usher in the age of fossil fuel-free power, but where exactly do these expansions need to take place and why aren’t they already? Some areas, like Massachusetts and California, are embracing offshore wind, but many more will have to Read More...
Scientists have trained Dutch bees to detect Covid-19
Bees are miraculous critters that play an essential role in feeding the world through pollination. However, Dutch scientists have tapped into another one of their valuable attributes to help identify cases of Covid-19: their acute sense of smell. When someone is infected with Covid-19, the Read More...
These "flying" electric boats could save Venice from being engulfed by water
The romantic Italian city of Venice is slowly but surely sinking into the sea. While rising sea levels are partly to blame for this, there is a less commonly-known contributor to this issue called “moto ondoso,” also known as wake pollution. Wake pollution is caused by speeding motorboats Read More...
Big oil continues to take hits as green energy activists join ExxonMobil board
We recently wrote about how a monumental court ruling has ordered Shell to cut emissions by 45 percent by 2030. Later that very same day, another climate victory occurred as shareholders voted to elect two green energy activists to the ExxonMobil board. The shift took place thanks to an Read More...