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 figure out how to turn briny water on Mars into oxygen and fuel
Figuring out ways for astronauts to source as many basic necessities as possible on Mars — or the Moon — is essential for future interplanetary space missions. With that in mind, engineers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a new electrolysis device that may be able to Read More...
Homes in Scotland will be the world’s first to use 100% green hydrogen
Hundreds of homes in Scotland will soon become the first in the world to use 100 percent green hydrogen to meet their heating and cooking needs as part of a new trial that could help accelerate the UK’s transition towards renewables. Scotland’s gas SGN company will outfit some 300 homes in Read More...
Why the use of mRNA in Covid-19 vaccines is exciting for science
If you hadn’t already heard, the world got some good news recently regarding the coronavirus after the interim results from Phase 3 clinical trials showed that two vaccine candidates were more than 90 percent effective. While these vaccines may provide a path towards a world that resembles Read More...
DeepMind’s AI program just solved one of biology’s biggest challenges
In the world of biology, a great problem has stumped scientists for 50 years: how do you accurately predict the shape that a protein will fold into? For scientists, this question is important because predicting the shape that a protein will fold into determines their function. In fact, nearly all Read More...
AI is helping beachgoers and sharks live in harmony on the CA coast
Warmer waters off the California coast are encouraging more great white sharks to visit the shores, leaving marine biologists scrambling to understand the shifting behavior and protect both sharks and beachgoers. To help solve the dilemma, Douglas J. McCauley, marine biology professor and Read More...
New wind turbine blades can be recycled at the end of their life
With an eye to accelerating the rapid growth of both onshore and offshore wind power around the world, a team of researchers has recently developed a wind turbine blade that’s not only cheaper than conventional ones but also easier to recycle. According to researchers at the National Renewable Read More...
This app helps people with nightmare disorder sleep through the night
Nightmare disorder is exactly what it sounds like: a condition in which people regularly experience nightmares when they sleep, which affects both their sleep and their ability to wake up. People who experience nightmare disorder may be afraid to go to sleep at all. In order to help people with Read More...
AI mapping tool shows cities exactly where they need to plant more trees
From boosting air quality to providing shade, there are many benefits that come with planting trees in urban neighborhoods. The only problem is that in many cities, trees are not equitably distributed amongst neighborhoods. To help ensure a more equal spread of the greens in cities, Google has Read More...
Algae is being used to give bioprinted tissue the oxygen it needs
3D printing technology has raised the possibility for scientists to produce biological tissue that could be used to replace organs or other body parts. Until now though, one of the problems with 3D printing biological tissue is that the cells may die before oxygen-delivering blood vessels grow into Read More...
AI guiding system allows blind runners to race independently
When blind or vision-impaired people compete in races, they usually have to be tethered to a human guide or a guide dog to help them run the course. In the near future, however, these same runners could compete independently thanks to a new artificial intelligence system from Google called Project Read More...