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 conservationist believes nature is thriving in the age of extinction
As humans have progressed, the stability of the animal kingdom has deteriorated. Animals that were once thriving, like the great ape, now have alarmingly low populations. There is no doubt that humans have left a bad mark on the earth, but one conservationist believes that only tells half of the Read More...
Uber wants to pick you up with autonomous flying cars by 2020
Uber has always been ambitious, but the company’s latest plans are taking their aspirations to new heights. The ride-hailing company wants to have a “flying car” service up and running in three years’ time in Los Angeles. Although the electric, autonomous, vertical-takeoff-and-landing Read More...
‘Putting self-driving cars on the road as soon as possible will save lives’
Driving a car is the deadliest "disease". It kills 1.2 million people every year. More than malaria. More than violence. More than wars. The self-driving car is not yet perfect. But today's not completely perfect self-driving cars will do better than human drivers... and save lives. That's why a Read More...
Can California eliminate gas cars?
More than 25 million cars cruise the roads in California, a testament to the state's love affair with driving. A tiny slice of those vehicles are electric or plug-in hybrid Read More...
This extraordinary Tesla can also be powered by hydrogen
A big debate amongst car enthusiasts is whether hydrogen fuel cell cars or electric plug-in cars are better, but what if you didn’t have to choose between either of them? A company in the Netherlands claims it has successfully added a hydrogen power source to a Tesla to effectively double the Read More...
In two years, Scotland will run only on renewable energy
Countries looking to transition to clean energy as quickly as possible should use Scotland as a model nation to follow. Over the past fifteen years, Scotland has gone from garnering 10 percent of its electricity from renewables to 60 percent. Now its on track to supply 100 percent of its Read More...
Google sibling Waymo launches fully autonomous ride-hailing service
Waymo, formerly known as Google’s self-driving car, is launching a fully autonomous Uber-like ride-hailing service with no human driver behind the wheel, after testing the vehicles on public roads in Arizona. Waymo, which is owned by Google parent Read More...
How driverless cars will help the poor, the elderly and the disabled
The Tesla crowd may get a full driverless experience before anyone else, but unlike iPhones, Spotify, and Trader Joe’s, autonomous technology won’t just help those who are already pretty well-off. Instead, the opportunity and independence promised by our driverless future will do the most for Read More...
The world’s tallest wind turbine has been built in Germany
The taller a wind turbine is, the more efficient it is. In fact, for every three feet increase in turbine height, annual energy output increases up to 1 percent. With that in mind, a German company has built the world’s tallest wind turbine, standing at 178 meter (584 ft). The single turbine is Read More...
These greenhouses generate electricity and grow food at the same time
Greenhouses that grow food are good. Solar panels are great. Put them together, and you have a match made in heaven. In California, researchers have created ‘smart greenhouses’ that can capture solar energy for electricity without reducing plant growth. These innovative solar greenhouses Read More...