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.
France introduces “repairability index” to bring circularity to electronics
These days it’s all too common to have a drawer of discarded cell phones and other broken electronics in our homes, but if we want our economy to become truly circular, we will have to come up with innovative ways for these electronics to be repaired and reused when they get damaged. To achieve Read More...
Natural antifreeze compounds produced by fish inspire road salt alternative
Salt is a primary tool used by cities to keep roads safe during snowy weather, but while the salt helps melt snow and improve traction, it also has detrimental effects on the environment and infrastructure. Road salt is often a combination of regular salt and additives like magnesium chloride and Read More...
Startup launches first-ever commercial rocket using biofuel
Beyond being a thrill to watch, rocket launches are essential for blasting spacecraft and satellites into orbit. That said, there is a big environmental cost that comes with rocket launches as it requires an incredible amount of fuel to start the ascent. Space X’s Falcon Heavy, for instance, Read More...
Solar companies and farmers are working together to harvest sunlight and food
For generations, we have been powering our lives with greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuels, damaging the environment and negatively impacting our atmosphere. Today, the effects of fossil fuels are tangible as we face climate change. Human innovation is making renewable sources of energy more Read More...
VW opens EV battery recycling plant in preparation for an electric future
As the electric revolution is making headway unabated, manufacturers are thinking about what to do with their electric vehicle batteries when the devices reach the end of the road. This is an important consideration given that lithium-ion batteries require a lot of materials, many of which are rare Read More...
International cyber team takes down world’s most dangerous malware
Emotet has been described as the most dangerous malware in the world, but thanks to a joint effort between cybersecurity teams in eight countries, the malware has been successfully taken down. The malware previously infected users’ data through email attachments and once it gained access to Read More...
General Motors will only produce electric vehicles by 2035
America’s biggest automaker, General Motors (GM), has been rather slow in embracing electric vehicles. Of the 2.55 million vehicles sold last year by GM, only about 20,000 of those were electric vehicles. With that said, GM seems to be going all-in on electric after the automaker announced plans Read More...
Designer turns animal skin and bones into biodegradable food packaging
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: it truly doesn’t make sense from an environmental standpoint that we package fresh products with a limited lifespan in indestructible plastic. That’s why we were excited to see a new packaging design from Icelandic designer Valdís Read More...
Two historic New York City bridges to feature designated cycling paths
Since the start of the pandemic last year, an increasing number of cities worldwide have seen an uptick in the number of people embracing cycling as a means of transportation. In New York, for example, cycling has increased by 52 percent over the city’s bridges. To recognize the important role Read More...
Finnish city launches world’s first urban ski-sharing program
We’ve all heard of bike-sharing programs, but have you ever heard of a public ski-sharing program. In the Finnish city of Lahti, a first-of-its-kind program is being rolled out that allows residents to borrow some skis for a quick cross-country ski trip to the store when snow hits the city. Read More...