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.
This experimental housing complex holds the key to a clean, stable grid
In the small town of Basalt, Colorado, a small housing development that was meant to stand as a bulwark against skyrocketing housing prices is now dually serving as a living laboratory for testing advanced power grid technologies. The hope is that, one day, these technologies could turn every home Read More...
Study finds plasma from coronavirus survivors can help severely ill patients
Good news in the battle against coronavirus. In a recent story published in The Guardian, it was reported that doctors have found tentative evidence that seriously ill coronavirus patients can benefit from infusions of blood plasma collected from people who have recovered from the disease. Two Read More...
Autonomous shuttles help medical workers stay safe by moving COVID-19 tests
The US, like much of the world, is moving to keep contact between its residents to a minimum as it grapples with the spread of coronavirus, and a new project taking place at the Mayo Clinic is exploring what this could mean for medical testing. In what is billed as a first for the country, Read More...
Scientists finally have a method for calculating the age of whale sharks
The whale shark is the biggest known fish in the ocean, but until recently, scientists weren’t quite sure how long these spotted giants lived for. A new study used carbon-14 from atomic bomb tests during the 1950s and 60s to finally determine the age of these ocean dwellers. Carbon-14 is a Read More...
Tequila ingredient shows potential as an efficient and eco-friendly biofuel
Agave, the desert plant most commonly known for producing the notorious tequila drink in Mexico, shows promise to expand its purpose beyond producing a party starter to become an efficient and environment-friendly biofuel. After analyzing agave’s ability to produce bioethanol, scientists from Read More...
New test can help doctors detect lung cancer early on
It might seem like we write too much about new discoveries out of MIT, but the fact of the matter is that the university is on the frontline of many of the world's biggest issues, working rapidly to unveil new solutions. Today, we present to you yet another of MIT's solutions, which comes in the Read More...
Researcher says COVID-19 will reduce European emissions by 24 percent
Yesterday we shared a story about how the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrates society’s ability to act fast in the face of a crisis. If we choose to apply this amazing human capacity for action to the climate crisis, we may already have a bit of a head start with massive emissions drops due to the Read More...
While at home, you can help astronomers demystify our Universe’s history
Be it baking or needlepoint, since the start of the outbreak, quarantine has been encouraging many people to take up new hobbies as a means to keep busy and make their time at home a little more enjoyable. But what if there was a hobby that would help stave off boredom during self-isolation while Read More...
This universal cancer blood test can detect and locate 50 types of tumors
Cancer is one of humanity’s leading killers, and the main reason for that is it’s often hard to detect until it’s too late. But that might be about to change. Researchers have developed a new type of AI-powered blood test that can accurately detect over 50 different types of cancer and even Read More...
The Mexican gray wolf population in the US rose sharply in 2019
Exciting news from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. In a recent census, researchers discovered that the US population of endangered Mexican gray wolves jumped by 24 percent last year. That’s especially exciting for conservationists who haven’t seen a leap in numbers that high since 2014. The Read More...