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.
Proof of the unstoppable rise of the electric car: Tesla’s market value passes GM
Electric car maker Tesla eclipsed General Motors in terms of market capitalization yesterday to briefly become the most valuable auto company in the world. To put that in perspective: GM sold 10 million cars last year and generated a record profit; Tesla sold 76,000 cars and produced a loss. Read More...
‘Tornado man’ wants to power the world with clean energy through vortexes
There was a time, just over a century ago, that horses and their manure were a big problem for the fast-growing cities. Governments and universities struggled to find a solution. Ultimately, out of their sight, that solution came from the man who introduced the mass-produced car: Henry Ford. The Read More...
A coal museum in Kentucky looks to an unlikely power source: solar energy
The tiny town of Benham, Kentucky, was originally built to serve the coal mining industry. Now it's embracing solar energy. Benham, population 500, will soon get an array of solar panels atop the Kentucky Coal Mining Museum. The decision to go solar is packed with symbolism, but mostly it Read More...
$5,700 electric micro-car seats 3, or carries 360 lbs of cargo
Take a mini-van and squish it to about a quarter size - that's roughly what you're looking at with the ZEV T3-1 Micro. This quirky, fully-enclosed, electric three-wheeler seats three if they're skinny, but we see it being much more of a hit as a cargo carrier. West Virginia's ZEV continues to push Read More...
Forget the next gadget: Technological progress makes us more vulnerable
For the most part, technological improvements have made our lives safer: Life expectancy has nearly doubled since 1850, and it’s increased worldwide by six years since 1990 alone. The development of vaccines and antibacterial drugs have also cut infant and childhood mortality dramatically. But Read More...
This wearable air purifier quietly cleans the air around you all day long
The Airvida may look like a sleek pair of headphones, but its actually a wearable air purifier designed to comfortably fit around a wearer’s neck. The device works by providing a high concentration of healthy negative ions that attract and attach to airborne pollutants such as dust and pollen. Read More...
California gets so much solar power that electricity prices are turning negative
Last month California showed that the state is capable of producing more than half of its power needs with solar energy. As a result, wholesale energy price of solar temporarily dipped into negative territory on March 11. Such a drastic drop in prices isn’t common, but it does display how Read More...
Climate change action is good for the economy – and Britain is the proof
Just before the Rio Earth summit 25 years ago, John Major, in whose cabinet I then served as environment secretary, made a bold prediction: reducing Britain’s carbon emissions in line with recommendations of climate science would not, he said, harm our economy: “Our initial measures ... Read More...
Solar textiles project wins global change award
A proposed process to create a precursor for nylon using solar power, water and plant waste has won a 2017 Global Change Award from the H&M Foundation. Nylon was created accidentally in 1930 and is everywhere today. The thermoplastic material is used primarily for flooring, molded car parts, Read More...
Electric utilities ignore politics and keep moving away from coal
When it comes to the future of clean energy, economics is more important than politics. That’s the clear message from electric utilities in the U.S. Despite a new administration keen on restoring the coal industry, operators around the country are closing coal-fired power plants. In the next four Read More...