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.
A giant virtual power plant is coming to California to avoid blackouts
As energy blackouts become more common in California, a German energy company called Sonnen believes virtual power plants (VPPs) can solve the issue. Rather than rely on utility companies, virtual power plants involve connected sets of solar panels and batteries that produce and store energy Read More...
Long-awaited Giantess Geyser finally erupts
Yellowstone visitors waiting to witness the Giantess Geyser have had to be extra patient over the past six years as the geyser, which normally erupts two or six times per year, lay dormant for six whole trips around the sun. Geothermal enthusiasts were finally rewarded with the long-awaited Read More...
This solar-panel bed cover gives pick-up trucks a green boost
With a flood of electric pickup trucks poised to hit the market in the near future, aftermarket accessory companies are starting to go green, too. Toronto-based manufacturer Worksport has decided to make the flat surface on the back of a pickup truck a bit more practical by installing a pickup-bed Read More...
Citrus solutions: Using orange peels to recycle precious metals
We recently wrote about bacteria being used to extract precious metals from e-waste. Now, organic compounds are once again coming to the rescue to recycle valuable materials. Researchers at the Nanyang Technological University are using orange peels to extract precious metals from spent Read More...
The Dow Jones just dropped its oldest member: Exxon Mobil
In another sign that times “are a-changing’, the Dow Jones has dropped Exxon Mobil from its influential index. Why does this matter? Well, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is the classic blue-chip stock index. Exxon Mobil is an iconic blue-chip stock and the longest-tenured member of the Read More...
More efficient clear solar panels could mean solar windows for all
Solar panels placed on buildings do a great job of generating green energy for the structure, but imagine if every window in the building could absorb solar energy? This is the vision of researchers at the University of Michigan who are working to increase the efficiency of clear solar Read More...
How black paint can drastically reduce bird deaths at wind farms
Politicians who lobby against the renewable energy industry often use the death toll of birds at wind farms as a way to argue against wind energy. But apparently, there’s a simple solution to reduce the number of deaths that happen at the blades of wind turbines: black paint. According to a Read More...
Could “antivitamins” be the cure to antibiotic resistance?
The first naturally-occurring bacteria killer, penicillin, was discovered nearly a century ago and with it came the advent of a new class of medicines: antibiotics. Bacterial infections were the leading cause of death at the time, and the new drugs gave doctors a way to combat these infections. Read More...
This tiny robot could help surgeons with precise procedures
Drawing inspiration from Origami, researchers have created a surgical robot that is around the size of a tennis ball and weighs about the same as a penny. The tiny robot was built by engineers from Harvard’s Wyss Institute and Sony and was created to assist surgeons with procedures that require Read More...
Parachutist completes world’s first jump from solar-powered plane
Parachuting from an airplane in itself is a momentous feat, but doing the first jump from a solar-powered plane? That’s legendary. A solar-powered plane flew to a height of 1,520 meters (nearly 5,000 ft) over western Switzerland before parachutist Raphael Domjan made his jump this Read More...