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.
Energy companies across Europe are waving goodbye to coal
Good news: The future of coal looks grim. From Austria to the UK, huge companies like Drax Group Plc and Uniper SE are closing or converting coal-burning generators at a record pace. Even the biggest coal-fired plant in Europe was switched off within the last few weeks after belching steam and Read More...
Utility offers British solar panels with battery storage to cut energy bills
German utility company E.ON has launched a combined solar panel and battery storage product for British customers which could cut their electricity bills in half. E.ON said customers with south facing gardens, using solar panels on a shade free roof combined with the battery storage units could Read More...
Renewable energy in Germany sets records in March
Renewable energy made up just over 41% of Germany’s power supply last month, the most ever at around 19.5 TWh. It’s a good thing, too, because nuclear power production may have fallen to its lowest monthly level since the 1970s – even though no nuclear plant has been switched off since 2015. Read More...
Apple's been given the green light to start testing self-driving cars in California
Apple has secured a permit to test autonomous vehicles in California, fuelling speculation that it is working on self-driving car technology in a crowded arena of companies hoping to offer those cars to the masses. The permit allows it to conduct test drives in three vehicles with six drivers, the Read More...
World's first battery-gas hybrid power plants launch in Southern California
Ordinary gas-turbine energy plants that run only when needed can take up to 12 hours to ramp up while spewing emissions that cause lung-damaging smog and greenhouse gases that exacerbate global climate change. Teaming up with General Electric, utilities company Southern California Edison has found Read More...
Microgrids: Energy independence (and money saved) for companies
At the end of a heavily wooded, sparse industrial park here sits the North American headquarters and R&D center for Schneider Electric, which earlier this month unveiled its own campus power microgrid. The microgrid for the global energy management conglomerate is expected to produce 520,000 Read More...
Offshore wind energy is now competitive without government subsidies
The Danish wind energy giant Dong has won the rights to build two new wind farms in the German North Sea without any government subsidies. The move represents a major milestone for the offshore wind industry, which has relied on support from European governments. The zero subsidy bid is a Read More...
‘Optimism is the engine that moves society forward’
The media create too much pessimism in society, says Kevin Kelly, a long-time technology watcher and author of the new book The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future. In this video, Kelly reminds us that society is constantly making progress and that Read More...
Big business pushes for renewable energy in the most unlikely places
Here’s a big reason why renewable energy moves forward so quickly even in unlikely places like Kentucky where more than 90 percent of energy still comes from coal. Many corporations have set big goals to reduce emissions. In many cases, these are commitments they need to fulfill to satisfy their Read More...
Will Tesla do to cars what Apple did to smartphones?
As Tesla surged past Ford and General Motors last week to become the most valuable car company in the United States, here was the brusque assessment of Bruce Greenwald, a professor at Columbia Business School: “It’s nuts.” And, in a way, it is nuts. Particularly, if you ignore the Elon Musk Read More...