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.
Electric vehicles took center stage in Superbowl commercials this year
This weekend’s Superbowl was the biggest event of the year for the NFL, but the big game is also center stage for the advertising world. This year’s Superbowl commercials showed a distinct shift in business consciousness towards a greener future. Football enthusiasts saw prominent figures Read More...
Amateur astronomers discover new type of northern light
The dark winter months means the arrival of beautiful northern lights in the more extreme areas of our world. This year, amateur astronomers helped discover a new type of northern light scientists are calling “dunes” due to their rolling, wave-like appearance. Northern lights are kind of Read More...
These researchers are turning McDonald’s used frying oil into 3D-printing resin
Used cooking oils are a major global environmental problem, with commercial and household waste causing serious environmental issues, including clogged sewage lines caused by the build-up of fats. While there are commercial uses for waste cooking oil, there’s a lack of ways to recycle it into a Read More...
Virtual reality systems help firefighters train safer and smarter
Climate change fueled wildfires in Australia and California has shined a light on the importance of firefighters and firefighting technology. To adapt to increased demands for firefighting innovation, Australia-based FLAIM Systems has created a virtual reality (VR) training system for Read More...
Squids could become man’s next friend as study finds similar brain complexity to dogs
If you’re on the lookout for a new animal companion, perhaps you should consider a squid. Before you balk at the notion of a pet squid by your side, check out the results of the first MRI-based mapping of the squid brain and its neural connections in 50 years. While squids have generally been Read More...
Scotland to achieve 100 percent renewable energy by the end of the year
Scotland is shaping up as an exemplary host for this year’s UN climate conference, as the country is on track to move its energy sector to 100 percent renewables by the end of this year - around the time when the international climate talks are to take place. Environmental organization Read More...
This new process turns all kinds of waste into valuable graphene
In a classic case of ‘two birds, one stone’, scientists at Rice University have come up with a clever solution for food waste and plastic waste. The solution comes in the form of a new process that can turn bulk quantities of carbon-based materials such as food waste into flash graphene—a Read More...
Effective urban planning doesn’t just boost efficiency. It also saves lives
Good public transportation and infrastructure design can help cities run more smoothly and reduce emissions and traffic. Now, research has shown that effective urban planning can actually reduce transit injuries as well. Researchers compared maps of almost 1,700 cities across the world with Read More...
VR is helping seniors rejoice in experiencing life like it was back in the old days
Virtual Reality isn’t just for gamers. The same technology that lets users battle monsters in mythical worlds has proven useful for everything from overcoming phobias and practicing surgical procedures to getting a look inside the International Space Station. Now, VR headsets are showing up in Read More...
How Forrest Gump is helping scientists understand human emotion
This week we are celebrating the Power of Positivity. No movie emphasizes the importance of positivity quite like Forrest Gump, so much so that scientists are even using his character to map out our brain emotions. Researchers produced a map of affective emotions called “emotionotopy” after Read More...