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.
It's cheaper to train consumers to save energy than to build new power plants
Energy guru Amory Lovins famously said: “We'd find more energy in the attics of American homes than in all the oil buried in Alaska.” The current debate in the U.S. is about what kind of energy should be used—coal, favored by the new president, or renewables. But it's much cheaper to train Read More...
New interactive tool shows ‘the evolution of wind power’ around the world
A new interactive web tool created between the Global Wind Energy Council and renewable energy software company Greenbyte allows users to witness The Evolution of Wind Power between 1981 and today. The Evolution of Wind Power was created based on data provided by the Global Wind Energy Council Read More...
These tiny solar cells can be folded and fit in the palm of your hand
Since the typical solar panel isn’t portable, researchers have developed tiny solar cells that can be folded up for transportation, incorporated into clothing, or easily used in electronics. One example of this would be placing a mini-solar panel on a backpack that can then charge your devices Read More...
Solar-powered trains are closer to reality than we might think
How can we connect solar photovoltaics (PV) directly to railways to power electric trains? That’s the question my charity 10:10 and researchers at Imperial College’s Energy Futures Lab are trying to answer. Electric trains are by far the best long distance transport mode when it comes Read More...
Kia confirms development of hydrogen model due in 2021
Kia will bring a bespoke hydrogen fuel-cell car to market before the end of 2021. Speaking to Autocar ahead of the Geneva motor show, the company’s head of marketing in Europe, Artur Martins, confirmed that development of a new fuel cell car was under way. Although he stopped short of Read More...
India may never need to build a new coal plant, report says
As the population and economy of India continues to grow, it wouldn’t seem so far-fetched if the country would need more coal plants to keep up with their energy demands. Thankfully, this is not the case. According to a new report, India, which is the world’s fastest-growing climate polluter, Read More...
How has technology changed the way we trust?
Rachel Botsman has spent over a decade thinking about the "sharing economy." As an author and a visiting academic at the University of Oxford, Saïd Business School, who researches how technology is transforming trust, she’s an authority on the subject. She's also one of Fast Company's Read More...
Will Massachusetts become first U.S. state to commit to 100 percent renewables?
Clean energy supporters in Massachusetts announced legislation Monday, backed by more than a quarter of the state legislature, committing Massachusetts to get 100 percent of its energy needs from clean and renewable sources by mid-century. The legislation, introduced in the House of Representatives Read More...
These bacteria clean water while generating electricity
At The Optimist Daily, we know that nature is the leading provider of solutions to human problems. Here’s one more. Across the planet, a lot of water is poisoned with heavy metals. The good news is that there are bacteria who love iron, lead, and mercury. And researchers have now modified these Read More...
Latin America leads the way in clean energy
Latin America is poised to take on a leading role on climate change and renewable energy in the global arena in 2017. The enormous potential and rapid spread of renewable energy in the region has fueled hope of a global transition to a low-carbon economy. The added bonus: an economic opportunity Read More...