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.
Tax incentives might run out on Tesla, but electric cars will be just fine
Tesla likes to argue that its customers don’t need government subsidies to buy electric vehicles. “In fact, the incentives give us a relative disadvantage,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on a May 3 investor call. “Tesla has succeeded in spite of the incentives not because of Read More...
An unfinished nuclear power plant is finally producing energy—solar energy that is
An abandoned nuclear power plant in Tennessee has been given new life as nearly 3,000 solar panels have been placed on the site. The Phipps Bend Nuclear Power Plant has scarred the landscape since it was abandoned in 1981. Now the site will provide clean energy to around 100 homes in the local Read More...
Amber: The Dutch self-driving startup that could beat Uber, Tesla, and Google
While Uber, Tesla, and Google are fighting over who will be first to deploy self-driving cars on a large scale, the Dutch underdogs at mobility startup Amber are planning a surprise move to overtake them all. If all goes according to plan, Amber’s self-driving cars will hit the streets of Read More...
Owl wings could hold the key to quieter aircrafts and wind turbines
The owl has unique wing features that allow it to fly in absolute silence. Drawing inspiration from the owl, a team of scientists from China and Japan believe they have found a way to incorporate these features into wind turbine blades, aircraft wings and drone rotors to reduce the noise they Read More...
Tesla is about to deliver the 'cheap' Model 3, its most most valuable asset
The $35,000 Model 3 due to roll off the assembly line today is the most inexpensive vehicle Tesla has ever made. But nothing has been more valuable to the electric car company. As its stock has plunged, shedding more than $10 billion in market value over the past two weeks from a June 23 peak of Read More...
1st solar electric cars for consumers to come from Lightyear?
Lightyear is an electric car company in The Netherlands whose mission is to develop, manufacture and sell solar-powered cars that will accelerate the electric car revolution by eliminating one of the biggest drawbacks — the lack of charging infrastructure.The company claims only 3% of people in Read More...
Giant kites provide renewable energy when wind turbines aren’t up to the job
“Let’s go fly a kite” used to be a cheerful refrain from the end of Disney’s Mary Poppins. As it turns out, it could be a crucially important idea in the drive toward efficient use of renewable energy. That’s based on the work of a United Kingdom company called Kite Read More...
Google spun out a new company that heats your home with geothermal energy
Google parent Alphabet is spinning off a little-known unit working on geothermal power called Dandelion, which will begin offering residential energy services. The announcement Thursday took the wraps off one of the secretive projects at the Alphabet unit X, known notably for its work on Read More...
Volvo becomes first car maker to stop making gas vehicles in 2019
One had to be the first. Volvo has announced that from 2019 onwards all their cars will be partially or completely battery-powered. The company refers to a “historic end” to building models that only have an internal combustion engine. The move by the Scandinavian car manufacturer underlines Read More...
France to end sale of diesel and gasoline vehicles by 2040
France aims to end the sale of gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2040 and become carbon neutral 10 years later, Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot said on Thursday at a presentation of measures to keep up momentum on the Paris climate agreement. French President Emmanuel Macron wants to press ahead with Read More...