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.
These are the closest images ever taken of the Sun
This week, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) released the closest images ever taken of the Sun. Close, however is a relative term. The new photos were taken by the Solar Orbiter at 48 million miles from the Sun. The Orbiter was launched in February, and the photos captured were taken in Read More...
New device makes city living a whole lot quieter
If you live in an urban area, car horns, sirens, and jackhammers are just some of the daily noises that float into your home, but a new window-mounted device could create peacefully quiet city apartments. This solution was shared with us by an Optimist Daily reader and could finally bring some Read More...
Scientists create tiny camera backpack to show how beetles see the world
Have you ever wondered how bugs view the world? Well, now that’s possible after researchers from the University of Washington created the “GoPro for beetles,” a robotic backpack equipped with a tiny camera that can be put onto beetles to capture their bug’s-eye view. On top of the Read More...
NASA’s most complicated telescope ever is almost ready for takeoff
NASA’s most technically complex space telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, was slated for launch in 2007. Now, after years of delay-plagued development, the telescope may finally get its place in the night sky. NASA recently announced that it’s completed its final litany of critical Read More...
Scientists sequence entire human X chromosome for the first time
You’ve likely heard of the Human Genome Project. That’s because it is one of the most ambitious scientific projects of all time. The program ended in 2003 with over 92 percent of the human genome mapped, but this week, scientists have added to the project with the complete mapping of an entire Read More...
New solar farm provides clean energy and a refuge for pollinators
The town of Logansport, Indiana is trading their last coal power plant for an 80-acre, 16-megawatt solar farm. In addition to the investment in green, renewable energy, the town is also investing in the health of its insect populations with pollinator habitat taking center stage in the new Read More...
Japan’s new bullet train will keep running even during a natural disaster
Japan has long been ahead of the game when it comes to trains. The country’s bullet trains not only hit speeds of over 200MPH with ease, but they’re also notoriously punctual. Its latest train model, however, is taking Japanese transportation to new heights. The new train is called the N700S, Read More...
Instead of laying off workers, Verizon is giving them new skills
Rather than lay off employees during the pandemic, Verizon has retained its 135,000 employees and even retrained 20,000 for new careers in an increasingly automated economy. The initiative, called Citizen Verizon, aims to prepare low wage workers for the jobs of the future with skills and Read More...
These 15 states will join California in electrifying all buses and trucks
Fifteen states and Washington, DC have announced that they will follow California’s lead in switching all heavy-duty trucks, vans, and buses over to running on electricity, in what could be one of the most significant efforts to reduce harmful diesel engine pollution in the United States. It Read More...
These glasses allow people with color blindness to experience more hues
At least 8 percent of men and 0.5 percent of women suffer from red-green color vision deficiency (CVD), totaling 13 million in the US and 350 million worldwide. While those with normal color vision see in excess of one million hues and shades, those with CVD see a vastly diminished range of colors. Read More...