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.
Net neutrality activists launch billboards campaign to influence Congress
Today digital rights organization Fight for the Future unleashed a series of crowdfunded billboards targeting lawmakers who support FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s efforts to repeal the country’s net neutrality rules. With members of Congress back in their home districts, the billboards - paid for by Read More...
People in Denmark are earning up to $1,530 just by parking their EVs
What if you could get cash for parking your electric car? Vehicle owners in Denmark have been able to do just that, bringing in around 1,300 Euros, or around $1,530, a year by feeding excess power back into the grid. Nissan Motor Company conducted trials in the country with Italy’s utility Read More...
South Australia to build world's largest single-tower solar thermal power plant
Just a month after the state government of South Australia announced a deal with Tesla to create the largest lithium-ion battery storage facility in the world, it has now revealed plans to build the biggest, single-tower solar thermal power plant on the planet with a proposed output of 150 Read More...
Rechargeable zinc-air batteries zero in on lithium
Zinc-air batteries are an enticing prospect thanks to their high energy density and the fact they're made with some of the most common materials on Earth. Unfortunately, those advantages are countered by how difficult it is to recharge these cells. Now, a team at the University of Sydney has Read More...
Tesla on “solar tiny house” roadshow in Australia
Tesla is on a roadshow in Australia to show off its solar house ambitions in the form of a fully-functional miniature house on wheels. The Tesla Tiny House is outfitted with a system of six solar panels and one of the company's Powerwall batteries for energy storage, making it 100 percent Read More...
Turning aluminum waste into biofuel catalyst saves money and the environment
Plenty of dirty aluminum foil ends up in landfills because recyclers don’t accept it. Now, a researcher has discovered a way to convert used aluminum foil into a biofuel catalyst. He has devised a method for obtaining pure crystals of aluminum salts from the used foil. These crystals are the Read More...
The reports of the death of the internal combustion engine are not exaggerated
In 1893, a French newspaper complained that “human inventiveness…has still not found a mechanical process to replace horses as the propulsion for vehicles”. Soon after, the automobile powered by the internal combustion engine began changing the world. But the days of the car as we know it, Read More...
Chile’s energy transformation is powered by wind, sun and volcanoes
It doesn’t hurt that Chile’s geography offers an embarrassment of riches for renewable energy. A constellation of solar fields built in the Atacama Desert in the north, one of the driest and sunniest places on Earth, has made Chile one of the most promising markets for producers of Read More...
India defies somber climate projections and has begun leaving the coal age
In climate projections India, already the third-largest carbon emitter in the world, is going to deploy coal-fired power plants on a massive scale as the country needs more electricity to feed a fast growing economy. However, the reality on the ground is different. In the last two years, coal Read More...
America’s wind energy industry is booming
The wind energy industry reached an important milestone in 2016 when it passed the generating capacity of hydroelectric power for the first time to become the nation’s top renewable generating source. Wind energy’s growth — at least in the next few years — is showing few Read More...