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.
BMW becomes first automaker to join responsible mining initiative
Materials such as cobalt and lithium are essential for producing electronic goods but often are produced in dangerous or illegal mines in conflict-riven countries. In a sign that the car industry is listening to mounting pressure to ensure that electric vehicle production does not come at the cost Read More...
Witnessing a neighbor install solar panels can shift one’s climate change beliefs
The policies we need to fight climate change rely on support from the public. According to a new study, one way in which people become more supportive of such policies is if they witness their neighbors putting solar panels on their roofs. The study, which analyzed five years of survey data Read More...
African grey parrots are among the smartest AND kindest in the animal kingdom
Humans and a few other mammals stand out among animals by showing acts of kindness and altruism towards others in need, but a new study suggests that some birds may also make it to the list of selfless animals. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute have found that the African grey parrots Read More...
The tiny English city wants to show small cities that going car-free is possible
Until a few years ago, the small city of Ghent in Belgium struggled with traffic and smog in its city center. Then, in 2017, the city adopted a new traffic plan to limit non-essential cars from its center and used a tactical urbanism approach to make the change cheaply, adding planters and simple Read More...
JetBlue to become first US airline to make its domestic flights carbon neutral
With the climate crisis worsening and millions of flights pumping out a staggering amount of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, airlines have been under increasing pressure to take stronger action against the industry’s heavy environmental footprint. To answer the concerns of eco-conscious Read More...
What if wind farms doubled as public art installations?
As absurd as it might sound, many wind energy projects have been denied over the years because people don’t want wind turbines to disrupt their view. To overcome this aesthetic opposition to wind farms, which is known as NIMBY (not in my backyard), the international design collective Prototype Read More...
A 17-year old discovered a new planet on third day of internship at NASA
Other than getting coffee, the only real expectation organizations have for their interns is that they try to learn from their more experienced peers. Because of that, you could imagine how stunned NASA was when their 17-year old intern discovered a new planet on only his third day of work. The Read More...
A microgrid kept this tribal community’s lights on during California blackouts
In early October, Pacific Gas & Electric cut power to more than 2 million northern California residents to reduce the risk of wildfires. Amid the darkness, the lights stayed on in one region of Humboldt county thanks to a multimillion-dollar investment in a microgrid by the Blue Lake Rancheria Read More...
A 4-person family could save 20,000 gallons of water annually with this recycler
With concerns over water scarcity on the rise, companies are increasingly looking to give people ways to reduce their water consumption. For Hydraloop founder and CEO Arthur Valkieser, the answer was clear: Build a device that gives homeowners and building developers a way to sterilize and reuse Read More...
Coal plant closures led to direct drop in emissions across America in 2019
Emissions that cause climate change across the US economy fell an estimated 2 percent in 2019. According to a new report from Rhodium Group, the drop in emissions is entirely due to more coal-fired power plants closing. While it’s imperative that we see emissions drop faster, the reduction in Read More...