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 are racing to make oil-free plastics
Most of the world’s plastics are made using oil, which releases carbon emissions when the plastic is incinerated after use. Now scientists are out to make plastics without oil by using materials like straw, wood chips and food waste to produce bioplastics. One particular approach includes Read More...
How scientists think they can save the northern white rhino from extinction
The last male northern white rhinoceros died in 2014, meaning that the species is set to go extinct. But rather than watching the species die before their eyes, biologists have been hard at work trying to save the northern white rhino. They believe via artificial insemination, the abundant southern Read More...
The moon can solve the earth’s energy woes
Although wind and solar power increased 75 percent between 2013 and 2016, they still only provided 10 percent of the world’s electricity. Ocean energy could give renewable energy the boost it needs. The ocean energy sector is frothing with ideas, with hundreds of companies developing an Read More...
This power plant has cracked carbon capture
Carbon capture probably gets the least respect of any technology proposed to slow climate change. The basic idea—trapping emissions from fossil fuel-power plants before they’re released into the atmosphere—seems sound. But attempts to build carbon-capturing plants have all run into the same Read More...
Baidu will launch its autonomous buses in Japan next year
Baidu’s self-driving buses could hit the road in Japan by early 2019. And even sooner in a handful of Chinese cities. The tech company announced at its annual developers' conference that it has ramped up Read More...
See-through solar cells will enable office buildings to produce their own energy
Houses and office buildings account for 75 percent of electricity use in the United States, and 40 percent of its energy use overall. The perfect solution for buildings would be to use their windows for the generation of the energy they need. That would require the “miracle” of see-through Read More...
World's first offshore wind battery installed at floating farm
A revolutionary battery has been successfully installed at the Hywind Scotland, the world's first floating offshore wind farm located about 15 miles off the Aberdeenshire coast. With the 1.2-megawatt storage system known as "Batwind" in operation, it will be possible for the first time to Read More...
Shell-Partners consortium ready to build Dutch offshore wind farm
A consortium led by Swiss investor Partners Group and Royal Dutch Shell said it has secured financing for the building of a 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) wind farm in the Dutch part of the North Read More...
An unexpected renewable energy powerhouse: Mauritania
Blessed with rich minerals and waters brimming with fish, Mauritania is awash with natural resources worth their weight in gold. But the West African country also knows how to diversify its resources by investing in renewable energy. The country produces almost 40 percent of its energy from clean Read More...
A ferry that runs on hydrogen fuel cells is coming to San Francisco
After Tom Escher took over his family’s century-old ferry company in 1997, he wanted to buy a zero-emissions vessel that could whisk tourists around San Francisco without spewing harmful pollutants. Escher, who is 71, said he worried about the health of his four grandchildren and the Read More...