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 created a textile that makes viruses slide right off the fabric
Masks and gowns are crucial to protect health workers from the spread of viruses, but they only do so much. Germs can still latch onto the material that protective equipment is made of, and diseases can spread when people touch the masks or touch their gowns. What if, like water sliding off a Read More...
Tokyo Fire Department welcomes all-electric ambulance
Tokyo Metropolitan Government's "Zero Emission Tokyo" initiative is making emissions reductions across all sectors, including health care. The Ikebukuro branch of the Tokyo Fire Department has welcomed its first all-electric ambulance. The new van, created in a partnership with Nissan based off Read More...
New implant allows the blind to “see” shapes and letters
A team of scientists at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston has developed a brain implant that allows both blind and sighted participants to “see” the shape of letters. As detailed in a new paper published in the journal Cell, the device works by skipping the eye and relaying visual Read More...
Training AI is carbon-intensive. MIT researchers are changing that
The different ways artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to improve our lives is vast, but one thing we often overlook is the environmental cost that comes with AI. After all, running a training model to improve AI requires a whole lot of energy. For that reason, researchers at Massachusetts Read More...
Cities that implement bike-share programs see more people bike to work
In the past decade, bike-sharing systems have exploded in popularity across America. Whereas there were only four US cities with a bike-sharing system in 2010, over 50 cities had a bike-share system by 2016. The often brightly colored bikes with whimsical company names promise city dwellers an Read More...
This startup shows us why drones hold the key to mass reforestation
This week, on land north of Toronto that previously burned in a wildfire, drones are hovering over fields and firing seedpods into the ground, planting native pine and spruce trees to help restore habitat for birds. Flash Forest, the Canadian startup behind the project, plans to use its technology Read More...
COVID-19’s reduced pollution is providing climate data for the future
If you think some of the world’s top climate scientists are taking a break during COVID-19’s record drop in air pollution, it’s actually quite the opposite. Xinrong Ren, a senior research scientist at the University of Maryland’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (NOAA), has Read More...
Why green infrastructure could help the economy bounce back after COVID-19
Of the 33 million Americans who have filed for unemployment since the coronavirus crisis began, many expect to get their jobs back—in one recent poll, 77% of workers who have been laid off or furloughed say that they expect their employers to rehire them. But economists say that may be overly Read More...
Houston commits to 100% renewable energy as part of its climate efforts
Back in 2017, Hurricane Harvey acted as a harbinger for what the city of Houston, and many others, can expect in the future if climate change remains unabated. Now, in an effort to contribute to mitigating this urgent global challenge, Houston has committed to 100 percent renewable energy. Mayor Read More...
Plans to build the biggest solar farm in America have been approved
Solar energy production in America is set to get a giant boost after the Interior Department of the US approved plans for the biggest solar farm the country has ever seen. Dubbed the Gemini Project, the $1 billion solar farm will be built 30 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The Gemini Project will Read More...