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.
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...
Powerhouse: The startup making solar the most accessible energy in the world
In a world flush with tech startups, Powerhouse is one of the only incubators focused on launching and growing solar companies. Since its launch in 2013, Powerhouse has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars collectively into 15 startups, and this summer plans to welcome another few solar Read More...
Watch Elon Musk’s TED talk on his grand tunnel plan, self-driving cars and more
Elon Musk, the CEO of at least three companies that we know of, was on stage at the 2017 TED conference in Vancouver last Friday, mostly blowing minds with a demonstration video for his vision of how a network of underground tunnels might ease traffic concerns. Musk talked about The Boring Company Read More...
How batteries could revolutionize renewable energy
All over California, there's evidence of the state's goal to lead the country in renewable energy. Enormous farms of shiny solar panels have popped up across southern California, and gigantic wind turbines dot the landscape Read More...
How biomimicry innovations are revolutionizing renewable energy
Nature has been doing research and development for some 4 billion years. Human existence is a direct result of all that research and human innovation has often been inspired by nature—looking at birds ultimately led to the invention of aircrafts. Recent advances in technology allow for a much Read More...