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.
Electric cars reach record 42 percent of Norway’s total new car sales
While most countries have difficulties making electric cars reach 2% or 3% of their total car sales, Norway keeps pushing the bar higher and higher. Last month was another record month for the country with electric cars representing 42% of its new vehicles being registered. That’s a Read More...
The world’s first energy-harvesting smart street has opened in London
Pavegen, a company that produces tiles that generate electricity from footsteps, has transformed a path in London’s West End into the world’s first energy-harvesting smart street. The company installed a 107-square-foot array in Bird Street to harness and convert footsteps into electricity, Read More...
NASA mimics gecko feet to create device that will adhere to almost anything
Drawing inspiration from the sticky feet of geckos, NASA scientists have invented a device that can grip almost anything. The “gecko gripper” uses minuscule silicon wedges to latch onto a wide range of slippery surfaces, like solar panels and plastics. The grippers can work with heavy objects, Read More...
Germany produced record 35 percent of power from renewables in first half
Germany raised the proportion of its power produced by renewable energy to 35 percent in the first half of 2017 from 33 percent the previous year, according to the BEE renewable energy association. Germany is aiming to phase out its nuclear power plants by 2022. Its renewable energy has been rising Read More...
How the electric car became the future of transportation
Traditional automakers including General Motors, Volkswagen, Daimler AG, and others are all investing heavily in electric vehicles. And Tesla, of course, has built an entire business on battery-powered cars. But electric automobiles are nothing new. They actually have a rich history in Read More...
Californians take a shine to solar power
Jacquie Barnbrook had grown tired of the high electricity bills and her gas-guzzling luxury car when she finally decided to take the plunge last year. The 52-year-old Los Angeles resident joined an ever-growing number of Californians who are switching to solar power for their energy needs in a bid Read More...
The moment that leaving the electrical grid makes economic sense is coming fast
Solar panels and windmills together with battery storage allow people to leave the grid. According to a study by consulting firm McKinsey the rapid development of renewable energy is making that a realistic economic scenario very soon. While “full grid defection” is only projected some 10 years Read More...
Street lamps could soon also charge electric cars in London
The street lamps in Hounslow, London, have an additional electricity port for electric car drivers who want to charge their vehicle Ubitricity, a German company focused on providing clean energy, converted street lamps in Hounslow, London, to have LEDs in them and included a new charging port for Read More...
Future Energy: LA crystals turn cars into energy source
Los Angeles is the car capital of the world with traffic a part of daily conversation as people estimate how many hours they will be stuck in a jam on their commute home each night. But what if the cars they spend so much time in could be used to generate electricity using crystals embedded in Read More...
A team of students have developed the most efficient solar car ever
While electric and hydrogen cars have had massive technological breakthroughs in the last few years, there has been little news about the solar car. That was until a team of students at Eindhoven University of Technology unveiled an electric car that seats five and is completely powered by the sun. Read More...