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 power plant produces energy without emissions. Here’s why that’s a big deal
In 2016, we caught wind of a natural gas power plant being constructed in Texas that claimed it would produce energy without emissions. It promised to capture its own carbon dioxide emissions, not in a separate, expensive, power-intensive process like conventional carbon-capture facilities, but as Read More...
Expect the number of electric cars on the road to triple in the next two years
Electric carmakers like Tesla will be happy to hear this; According to a new report from the International Energy Agency, the global fleet of electric vehicles is likely to more than triple to 13 million by the end of the decade from 3.7 million last year. The report also shows that sales may soar Read More...
Cutting your home’s energy bills by digging a deep hole in the backyard
On the Earth’s surface, temperatures can swing from blistering hot to freezing cold. But dig a few hundred feet below ground, and the temperature is stable at between 10°C and 16°C (50°F and 60°F). The technology to tap that energy to heat or cool homes has been around for 70 years, but Read More...
Science says this is the best way to get over a broken heart
Researchers don’t want you to suffer when your romantic relationship comes to an end. That’s why they tested a variety of cognitive strategies for helping people get over a breakup, and they found one strategy to be particularly effective. If your heart is feeling broken, here’s what Read More...
Solar is starting to replace the largest coal plant in the western U.S.
On Navajo land in Arizona, a coal plant and coal mine that have devastated the environment are being replaced by solar–with both enormous benefits and local drawbacks that can serve as a lesson for how the rest of the country will need to manage the transition to Read More...
Buffett utility to be first in U.S. to reach 100 percent renewables
MidAmerican Energy Co will become the first U.S. investor-owned utility to source 100 percent of its customers’ electricity needs from renewable energy when it completes a $922 million wind farm in 2020, the company said on Read More...
A game-changing carbon-capture power plant just passed its first big test
Net Power announced today that it successfully fired up a pilot plant near Houston that takes an entirely new approach to capturing carbon dioxide. The news marks a critical first test for a system that promises an economical path to cutting greenhouse-gas Read More...
Offshore wind power is finally becoming a reality on the US east coast
Despite there being massive potential for offshore wind power on the east coast of the US, there has been little to no development of wind farms in the region. That is set to change as three northeastern US states have finally overcome the opposition to sign up for a cumulative 1,200 megawatts of Read More...
Tesla Model 3 drives 606 miles on a single charge in hypermiling record
It only took 32 hours of continuous driving in sweltering temperatures, but two Colorado residents have set a new “hypermiling” record by driving their Tesla Model 3 606.2 miles (975 km) on a single charge. It beat a previous record of 560 miles from a Tesla Model S P100D, but it fell slightly Read More...
This generator turns gravity into renewable energy
Dutch inventor Janjaap Ruijssenaars has built a gravity energy generator that harnesses the force of gravity to produce a new kind of renewable energy. See the video about this remarkable Read More...