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 Whole Foods uses saltwater to cut costs and boost resilience
Whole Foods Market has been using thermal batteries at five stores in California and Hawaii to reduce its electricity bills and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Now, the grocer is taking a closer look at how these alternative battery storage systems can cut costs and keep food cool in the event of a Read More...
How AI is helping solve Asia’s traffic troubles
Traffic in cities across Asia has become dreadful. To solve this congestion of cars, China’s largest online retailer Alibaba is deploying its cloud-computing power to reshape city traffic. The artificial intelligences makes live traffic predictions, optimizes traffic flow, and detects traffic Read More...
Americans are using less energy than they used to
Americans are using less energy -- paradoxically, by spending more time indoors, according to a new study in the journal Joule. But researchers point out that keeping more lights on was offset by lifestyle changes that kept people inside instead of roaming around offices and retail stores -- like, Read More...
Medical AI may be better at spotting eye disease than doctors
A recent study from researchers at the Singapore National Eye Center (SNEC) shows just how proficient artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming at recognizing certain illnesses. In a study designed to test the performance of deep learning software, built to recognize and classify retinal images, Read More...
Solar energy now creates more jobs in America than any other industry
Solar energy isn't just a tool to reduce emissions and help slow climate change – it's a job creator. According to the most recent National Solar Jobs Census published by The Solar Foundation, the industry creates more jobs than any other sector in the US. In 2010, there were only 93,000 jobs Read More...
Tiny robot marks a step towards using devices in humans
Researchers invented a tiny "minimalist robot" that looks like a caterpillar and can perform a wide range of movements, including jumping, crawling through tunnels, and climbing out of a pool. It is designed to deliver drugs to specific targets in the human Read More...
Why scientists are on a quest to make planet-saving pavement
Pavement may not seem complicated, but it is. Concrete is made of aggregate, tiny bits of sand, crushed stone, and gravel. Asphalt is composed of sand, gravel, and bitumen, a byproduct of oil petroleum production. Both can go into pavement. How much does just obtaining these materials tax the Read More...
What happens if we start solar geo-engineering—and then suddenly stop?
Volcanoes, nuclear war, and solar geo-engineering. With a research portfolio that includes all three, Alan Robock is used to thinking about sudden, catastrophic change. A professor of environmental science at Rutgers University, Robock studies the movement of small particles and liquids through Read More...
Glucose-tracking smart contact lens is comfortable enough to wear
The concept of a smart contact lens has been around for a while. To date, though, they haven't been all that comfortable: they tend to have electronics built into hard substrates that make for a lens which can distort your vision, break down and otherwise cause discomfort. A team of Korean Read More...
Volvo to put electric trucks on the road this year
This week, Volvo is adding itself to the list of many truck manufacturers working on electric trucks. The Swedish group says that it will bring the electric trucks to the road as soon as this year, starting with a line of medium-sized Read More...