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.
Solar park in Sahara to power 2m homes in Europe, generates 20,000 jobs
Construction on a massive solar park three times the size of Manhattan that would bring energy from Tunisia to Europe could soon be underway. If approved by Tunisia’s government, the solar park would pipe electricity to Malta, Italy and France using submarine cables and would provide electricity Read More...
Self-driving cars’ prospects rise with vote by House
Auto and technology giants, including Ford Motor, General Motors and Waymo, Alphabet’s driverless division, have pushed hard for the new law. They have also pressed regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to clarify Read More...
Hydrogen power storage could be an important part of a fossil fuel free future
Some big names in the energy industry are putting billions of dollars into the research and development of hydrogen power storage solutions. Critics call the plans convoluted and believe batteries are good enough for the Read More...
France wants to ban all fossil fuel production by 2040
In what would be a world first, the government of President Emmanuel Macron wants to phase out all oil and gas exploration and production in France and its overseas territories by 2040. Sounds dramatic, but the EU nation has very little to lose as Read More...
Water-based lithium-ion batteries without explosive risks now a reality
A new water-based battery part could be the key to safe, powerful batteries that don’t risk catching on fire. Though they don’t last as long as the batteries already in our phones, researchers hope it’s an important next step toward solving Read More...
Mercedes prepares hydrogen plug-in hybrid for Frankfurt debut
Mercedes-Benz is putting the finishing touches on a hybrid fuel cell version of the GLC ahead of its debut in Frankfurt. We don't know many details about the car yet, but Mercedes has pulled back the curtain on the development process leading up Read More...
You could be hailing a flying taxi, just like you would an Uber, within 10 years
Two German startups, Lilium and Volocopter, are competing to bring fully electric VTOLs—aircraft designed for vertical takeoff and landing—to urban centers as cheaper, faster, and more sustainable forms of travel, and they are being backed by investors all over the Read More...
New water-cooling solar panels lower the cost of air conditioning by 20 percent
We’ve all heard of solar water heaters, but have you ever heard of solar water coolers? Researchers have come up with a roof-mounted system of panels that can cool a building by beaming excess heat back into space while cooling water beneath the panels to help industrial-size air-conditioning Read More...
Insect-eye inspired solar cells could pave the way to cheaper energy
When it comes to converting sunlight into electricity, the photovoltaic mineral perovskite is just as efficient as silicon and costs just a fraction of the price. The only problem is perovskites are fragile and can deteriorate easily when exposed to the elements. By mimicking a hexagon-shaped resin Read More...
Scotland to ban all petrol and diesel vehicles
The Scottish government aims to phase out new petrol and diesel cars and vans across Scotland by 2032, eight years ahead of the UK Government target. Nicola Sturgeon outlined plans to "massively expand" electric charging points and set up Read More...