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.
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...
Twitter engineer leads movement to replace racially-loaded tech terms
What sort of impacts do words have in our everyday jobs? For Regynald Augustin, a programmer at Twitter, the unquestionable drive to change the terminology used in his day-to-day job was an effort that started back in January. The impetus for change started after he received an email with the Read More...
Could AI help prompt doctors to have difficult discussions about death?
At the Optimist Daily, we’re always on the lookout for solutions—whether they may be for lighter issues like gardening, or for much heavier topics, like how we can best discuss how to prepare for death. Today, we’ll be touching upon the latter. The question of how and when to prepare for Read More...
New research emphasizes the need for electric rideshare vehicles
With versatile options, increasingly reliable batteries, and charging stations popping up everywhere, making the switch to an electric vehicle is easier than ever. New research shows that while switching to an electric vehicle at home is a great option for supporting green energy, making the switch Read More...
The exterior of this electric truck is made of natural materials
While electric vehicles may be the greener option in comparison to their gas-powered relatives, the materials used to produce electric vehicles are by no means green. That, however, could soon start to change thanks to the ambitions of Volta Trucks. The EV manufacturer is creating an all-electric Read More...
Doctors in Rome successfully separate conjoined twins in rare surgery
This week, surgeons in Rome successfully separated two-year-old twins with a rare congenital defect. Twins Ervina and Previna's skulls were fused back-to-back and shared vital blood vessels — a condition that occurs around once in every 2 million births. The 18-hour operation took place at the Read More...