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.
Wind energy now directly competing with coal on cost
Last week, Xcel Energy announced a multi-state wind capacity project, anticipated to be the largest in the United States. Spanning seven states, the project covers eleven new wind farms and would generate 3280 MWs at a cost of $3.5-4.4 billion. In its announcement, Xcel emphasized the cost-savings Read More...
When will self-driving cars be on the road?
Cars are already driving themselves on roads in California, Texas, Arizona, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. Though they are still restricted to specific test areas and driving conditions, it’s pretty clear that at some point in the future, completely driverless cars will be a mainstream Read More...
The oil sheikhs of the North are rapidly shifting to renewable energy
Oil has made Norway a very rich country. However, the Norwegians realize that they need to move away from fossil fuels. Norway already leads the electric car revolution in Europe. And the government is actively supporting the country’s growing renewable energy sector. With a grant from a Read More...
UK breaks new solar energy record on sunny March weekend
Last weekend’s sunny weather was not only good for beers, barbecues and bees, but also drove solar power to break a new UK record. For the first time ever, the amount of electricity demanded by homes and businesses in the afternoon on Saturday was lower than it was in the night, because solar Read More...
The race to put more zero-emission cars on the road
California has led the charge for electric vehicles with an ambitious strategy to put 1.5 million zero‐emission vehicles on the road by 2025 (Executive Order B‐16‐2012) with the ultimate goal of transitioning virtually all personal transportation in the state to Read More...
This startup aims to power your devices with light and without batteries
Our homes are full of devices that require electricity to stay active. Your television is on standby; your remote requires batteries. Together these devices consume a lot of power. Batteries need to be recharged—until they are discarded—or replaced. This startup wants to replace the batteries Read More...
Saving energy with smart tires that alert drivers when maintenance is needed
The pressure in the tires of your car has a big impact on safety as well as on fuel efficiency. If tire pressure is too low, cars will slide easier, and their engines consume more gas. Fuel efficiency can be improved up to 7 percent with proper pressure in the tires. That’s why the new smart Read More...
Renault electric-car owners can double their range by upgrading leased batteries
When the updated 2017 Renault Zoe was unveiled last fall at the Paris auto show, it became one of the few electric cars whose range effectively doubled over its model life. Launched in 2012 with a 22-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery, the five-door subcompact hatchback had an effective range of 60 Read More...
Innovative energy storage technologies are making solar a 24-hour energy source
The rapid growth of solar energy requires storage innovation to make sure that the clean energy is available 24/7. In Sweden, a team of scientists is developing a liquid energy storage medium that can not only release energy from the Sun on demand but is also transportable. Meanwhile, in China Read More...
Uber’s latest crash reminds us how badly we need self-driving cars
A self-driving Uber car was involved in a high-speed crash in Tempe, Arizona yesterday. No one was seriously injured, and the Volvo XC90 SUV, which was driving itself at the time, had the right of way and bears no blame, according to police. “We are continuing to look into this incident Read More...