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.
Student science project convinces school district to switch to electric buses
Miami-Dade County Public Schools will convert all their diesel school buses to all-electric models by the end of 2021. This change has great environmental and public health benefits, but it wouldn't have happened without the help of Holly Thorpe, a local middle school student. Thorpe created a Read More...
ISS captures footage of blue lightning bursting upwards towards space
Witnessing a thunderstorm is one of the most incredible natural phenomenons to behold, but have you ever seen one from space? Recently, the European Space Agency released footage taken on the International Space Station that shows the electrical activity of a thunderstorm from above. As reported Read More...
Scientists develop a compostable electronic display to help reduce e-waste
With global consumption of electronics on the rise, so is the already overwhelming amount of associated e-waste. One possible way to diminish the environmental impact of e-waste is by making electronic components biodegradable — at least that’s the line of thought of a team of scientists who Read More...
Experts unveil fossils of what could be one of the largest dinosaurs ever
Paleontologists in Argentina have uncovered the remains of a gigantic dinosaur that they say may be one of the largest to ever walk the Earth. The researchers stumbled upon the fossilized remains of the 98 million-year-old creature in Neuquén Province in Argentina’s northwest Patagonia. While Read More...
Researchers rediscover tiny Tasmanian crayfish thought to be extinct
Tasmania is a biodiversity hotspot that is home to many species of wildlife, but there’s one particular species that researchers hadn’t spotted in decades: the short-tailed rain crayfish. Crayfish expert Alastair Richardson first encountered the short-tailed rain crayfish in the 1970s while Read More...
Unique study on psilocybin microdosing to commence in Australia
From treating depression to alleviating migraines, research has shown that psilocybin (magic mushrooms) has many healing properties. Still, there is so much to learn about this special psychedelic, which is why we’re excited to tell you about a novel study that is about to take place in Read More...
This smart pot tells you exactly how much water and light your plants need
If you’re the type who loves sharing their home with plants, there probably was a time when you’ve found yourself with a struggling green companion, and couldn’t necessarily tell what the exact problem was. Was it too much water? Or too much sun? Was the relative humidity too high? Or was the Read More...
New technique speeds up infection treatment and fights drug-resistant bacteria
Drug-resistant bacteria are a growing challenge for the medical community, but choosing effective antibiotics right off the bat can reduce the growth of these bacteria and help patients recover more quickly from illness. Fortunately, researchers from universities and hospitals across Europe have Read More...
No more range anxiety: new EV battery fully charges in 5 minutes
If we want to tackle the climate crisis, then we have to adopt electric vehicles in mass. One major barrier that stands in the way of mass adoption is range anxiety: the fear that you will either run out of charge and get stuck on the highway or you’ll end up sitting at a charging station for two Read More...
Scientists use renewable energy to turn CO2 and water into synthetic fuel
While we work towards a future where all vehicles are electric, it's important we find greener ways to fuel the combustion vehicles in service today. With that in mind, researchers have figured out a way to make fuel for gas-burning cars using renewable energy. The novel process involves combining Read More...