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.
Rooftop solar cost competitive with the grid in much of the U.S.
Rooftop solar panels on have always been the province of well-to-do, eco-friendly folks willing to shell out extra bucks to be green, but that is all starting to change. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the cost of putting solar panels on a typical American house has Read More...
China’s latest energy megaproject shows that coal really is on the way out
The Chinese province of Anhui built a massive floating solar farm on top of an abandoned coal mine. An even larger floating solar plant will come online by May Read More...
German company powers Puerto Rico with Internet-connected batteries
A German startup is offering its energy storage systems without charge to about a dozen blacked-out schools, churches, health-care facilities, and community centers in Puerto Rico that is still dealing with large areas without power. The equipment links solar- and battery-powered buildings to Read More...
UK sets new wind power record as turbines deliver 37 percent of electricity
Wind power in the UK set a new record by generating 14 gigawatts for the first time – nearly 37 per cent of the the country’s electricity. The National Grid control room confirmed that 13.9 gigawatts was the highest ever metered wind Read More...
How cow poop can help us produce natural gas without fracking
There’s a limitless supply of natural gas on this planet, and we’re not talking about the gas stored beneath the Earth’s surface. We’re talking about cow manure, which can be refined into natural gas. Although burning natural gas does cause emissions, getting it from gas provides a big Read More...
Energy storage: the power of cold air
Highview Power Storage is using tried and tested technology to store energy in an innovative way. It cools air down to around minus 200 Celsius, where it becomes liquid. When power is required, the process begins to release that stored Read More...
Diu becomes India's first city to run entirely on solar energy
In the last few years, India has been prioritizing the growth of solar energy throughout the country. Now it looks as though these efforts are paying off as the city of Diu has become India’s first municipality to receive 100 percent of its energy needs from solar power. The switch to solar has Read More...
The science of intuition can help you understand how to use it
In the age of big data, relying on intuition—what others call gut, instinct, a sixth sense or a hunch—can seem like a cop-out or an inferior system. But according to a survey of top executives, the majority of leaders leverage feelings and experience when making handling crises. And despite Read More...
Charging an electric vehicle is far cleaner than driving on gasoline
Driving an electric vehicle (EV) has obvious climate benefits: zero tailpipe emissions. But because EVs are charged by power grids that burn fossil fuels, they aren’t necessarily zero-carbon. An EV’s carbon footprint depends on whether its power comes from renewables or fossil, and Read More...
This "air taxi" takes off like a helicopter and flies like a plane
What if instead of calling an Uber when you need a lift, you simply call for an “air taxi”. That may become a reality sooner than you think after Google co-founder Larry Page and his Kitty Hawk company unveiled Cora, an electric aircraft that takes off like a helicopter and flies like a plane. Read More...