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.
Floating solar farms are slowly popping up around America
When officials of Sayreville, New Jersey, decided to install a solar panel array to power a local water treatment, they couldn’t decide where to put it. Building a solar plant big enough to meet their electricity needs would require the town to clear some 15 acres of trees, which isn’t such a Read More...
This t-shirt generates energy from your own body heat
Most of us get hot and sweaty when we workout. What if this heat could be captured and turned into energy? This is exactly what researchers from the University of Málaga in Spain and the Italian Institute of Technology had in mind when they created their thermoelectric t-shirt. The shirt uses Read More...
The FrogPhone: Biologists create clever device to monitor health of habitats
Frog population levels are a key indicator of an area's ecological health, and one of the best ways of gauging those levels involves estimating the number of frog vocalizations that are being made at one time. Typically, biologists have to wait around at frog habitats, monitoring the amphibians' Read More...
This jelly-like material can heal itself just like human skin
Scientists from Australia have developed a jelly-like material that acts like living tissue. The jelly, which is known as hydrogel, is strong, malleable, and able to heal itself. That could be extremely important for healing people with damaged skin, ligaments, or bones. Hydrogels are 3D polymer Read More...
How MIT is deploying artificial intelligence to improve breast cancer screening
When MIT computer scientist Adam Yala witnessed his mentor have a bout with breast cancer in 2014, he got a glimpse into the subjective side of the healthcare system and how much work needed to be done to improve breast cancer screening. For many patients, their ability to receive effective Read More...
Meet the scientists exploring the world to save crop diversity
The fruits and vegetables you find in a modern supermarket have been chosen and modified from hundreds of varieties that exist in the wild all around the globe. In a world where the grocery store has one specially cultivated type of banana, a group of scientists is diving into the deepest corners Read More...
How Peru’s wild potatoes can save their domesticated relatives
Yesterday we shared a story about scientists who explore the world in search of ancient, diverse plant life. Today we bring you a story perhaps a little closer to home: the tale of the humble potato. Facing climate change and a growing population, The Crop Wild Relatives Project set out to catalog Read More...
Researchers successfully create first artificial neurons
Neurons are our brain’s signaling system. These complex systems are constantly firing and communicating to facilitate brain responses. These neurons have always been something we could only find in the brain, but thanks to a recent scientific breakthrough, a team of researchers from the Read More...
This rain-harvesting panel would help urban cities catch their own water
After observing the drought conditions of her native country of South Africa, designer Shaakira Jassat has created a rain-catcher that is slim enough to fit on the outside of buildings in dense urban environments. Dubbed the Aquatechture panel, this device is designed to collect rainwater as it Read More...
Coal power is becoming ‘uninsurable’ as major insurance firms refuse coverage
It was a historic year in the fight against coal power as ten major insurance firms moved to restrict the insurance coverage they offer to companies that build or operate coal power plants, taking the global total to 17. 2019 saw the number of insurers refusing coverage for coal projects more than Read More...