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.
How Texas plans to win the public over with its unique self-driving experiment
There’s been a predictable backlash against self-driving vehicles after a pedestrian was run down by a autonomous vehicle. The incident even led Arizona to suspend its testing program for self-driving cars. Will self-driving cars ever be able to win over the public? The state of Texas is showing Read More...
Never have a flat tire again with these 3D-printed bicycle tires
Cyclists know there’s nothing more frustrating than getting a flat tire. That’s why a Berlin-based company has created 3D-printed bike tires that don’t require any air. The airless tires are made out of a new thermoplastic elastomer that introduces flexibility and durability to 3D-printing Read More...
British sun beats natural gas to provide most electricity
Britain got a glimpse of its green future as the sun provided more power to households than any other energy source over a rare, sunny holiday Read More...
Bio-inspired membrane captures 90 percent of CO2 in power plant emissions
Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a new biologically inspired membrane that can capture carbon dioxide from power plant smoke. Sandia fellow and University of New Mexico regents’ professor Jeff Brinker said, “Our inexpensive method follows nature’s lead in our Read More...
Renewable sources account for most new U.S. power capacity
The history of power production through the early part of the 21st century was very much a tale of nonrenewable energy resources. Power was produced primarily by coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy at large power plants at central locations and distributed to customers via the electrical Read More...
Nigeria is shifting to renewable energy to bring power to all its people
Nearly half of Nigeria’s population have no access to electricity at all. Africa’s most populous country wants to expand electricity access to 90 percent of the population by 2030, and to do that, Nigeria is turning to renewable energy. The country aims to generate 30 percent of its total Read More...
Solar panels to become mandatory for all new homes in California
The state of California is due to vote next week on new energy standards that would require all new homes to be constructed with solar panels from 2020 onward. If the new standards are approved, California would become the first U.S. state to make solar panels mandatory. The move would greatly Read More...
The new world's 'hugest' solar plant is in Mexico, not the U.S.
Mexico wants to produce 43 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2024, in only 6 years. It has 58 new power plants planned, the majority of them solar and the rest wind. Toward that end, in December it opened the Villanueva solar farm in the desert, with 2.3 million solar panels, Read More...
A complete transition to renewables would save Australians $20 billion a year
Australia has only recently started to embrace renewable energy. If they were to complete a total shift to renewable energy, it would pay for itself through cost savings within two decades, ultimately saving Australian $20 billion a year in combined fuel and power costs, a new report says. The Read More...
Algae could light up our cities at night
Proper lighting at night is important for safety in cities and along highways, but all of those lamps require a lot of electricity to keep them going all night. Many places have transitioned to LED lighting, the most energy efficient lighting currently available, to cut down on the energy use of Read More...