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.
Canada produces 66 percent of its electricity with renewable energy
New data showed that Canada produced 66 percent of its electricity from renewables in 2015. 60 percent of the county’s electricity was generated with hydro power—Canada produces 10 percent of the world's hydro-electricity. The remainder came from wind, solar and biomass. Besides Canada there Read More...
Atlanta pledges 100 percent renewable power by 2035
Atlanta has arguably been the capital of the American South for decades, from its moniker as “The City Too Busy To Hate” during the civil rights era to its hosting of the Olympic Games a generation ago. Now, according to the Sierra Club, Atlanta is now the largest southern city to commit to a Read More...
7 companies steering the self-driving car craze
In 2009, the first photos started to trickle out of a Toyota Prius outfitted with a bizarre-looking metal contraption on the roof cruising the highways around Silicon Valley. The concept seemed far-fetched at the time, but Google’s early self-driving car went on to blaze a trail for the current Read More...
Ode to Abeer Seikaly, Amman, Jordan
From The Optimist Magazine Fall 2015 A new kind of mobile home People move. It’s what they have always done and what they will keep doing. Architect, artist and cultural producer Abeer Seikaly, from Amman, Jordan, designed an elegant and practical home for people who are forced to move on to a Read More...
Designing the next car battery with a 600-mile range
The average electric car can drive 100 miles on a charge. That’s the main stumbling block preventing the wide scale acceptance of these clean cars. Better, longer-lasting batteries are a critical component of the clean energy economy. Now, German engineers are working on improving battery design. Read More...
Solar success creates a new challenge: U.S. prepares for eclipse in August
In the ancient world a solar eclipse meant one thing: a disruption of the established order. And so it is today, again. The U.S. is using so much solar power that it will have to prepare for the solar eclipse that will hit the country in August. As the shadow of the moon passes over North America, Read More...
Samsung self-driving cars take fight to Apple, Uber and Google's Waymo
Samsung is stepping up its plans for self-driving cars to rival former Google project Waymo, Uber and Apple, bringing the key players from the battle for smartphone dominance to the brave new world of autonomous vehicles. The South Korean electronics manufacturer, which is the world’s largest Read More...
Microgrids could whet the big appetite for clean energy in Texas
They say everything is bigger in Texas. As a leading state focused on renewable energy growth, that statement would appear to be true, but is it? With Texas aggressively lowering its reliance on oil production thanks to advances in renewables, more growth from wind and solar power will require Read More...
Iowa's Largest Utility Eyes 100% Renewable Energy Goal
Iowa is already a wind energy superstar, and now, the state's largest utility is looking to completely transition to renewable energy sources. Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy, owned by Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett, recently invested $3.6 billion for Read More...
Creating cheap solar cells with an ingredient from a delicious Indian berry
The berries of the Jamun tree are popular in India. The fruit is known for its nutritional and medicinal value. It’s cheap and often sold on pavements and at traffic junctions. But Indian researchers have found a new benefit in the berries: They may be used to make solar panels far less Read More...