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.
Solar power is cheaper than fossil fuel for the first time
Solar energy is now cheaper than traditional fossil fuels. Solar and wind is now either the same price or cheaper than new fossil fuel capacity in more than 30 countries, according to a new report from the World Economic Forum. The influential foundaton has described the change as a "tipping point" Read More...
This electric bus company just raised $140 million
According to Proterra, a Burlingame, Ca.-based company, its zero-emission electric buses can drive a stunning 350 miles one charge — and on city streets, no less. With that kind of claim, it’s no wonder investors just poured $140 million into the outfit, which began garnering Read More...
Christmas Day 2016 sets new UK record for renewable energy use
Christmas Day was the greenest on record for energy generation, according to the power group Drax. The company said more than 40% of the electricity generated on the day came from renewable sources, the highest ever. It compared with 25% on Christmas Day in 2015, and 12% in 2012. Andy Koss, chief Read More...
Here's how we can power 100% of the world with renewable energy
Here's a 2017 New Year's resolution I'd like to see the nations of the world adopt: an immediate international effort to invest in a world where 100 percent of our electricity will be generated by wind, water and solar power by 2050. Such an effort is technically and economically feasible and has Read More...
Israel as a lab for smart transportation
Nearly every Israeli is familiar with the Waze application, which has changed the way we all drive. But the Waze brand only really has a presence in Israel; elsewhere in the world, it has been swallowed up in the company that bought it for $1.1 billion in 2013: Google. Some 70% of all traffic Read More...
MIT: 3,000 ride-sharing cars can replace all 13,000 cabs in New York City
Here’s a good example of how the sharing economy can reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and carbon emissions. According to a new MIT study, 3,000 ride-sharing cars—if used exclusively for carpooling—could replace all 13,000 taxis in New York City. The researchers calculated that 3,000 Read More...
Here are some of the self-driving startups to watch in 2017
2016 was the year of many things. For the auto and tech industries, it was the year the companies that already placed their bets on self-driving technology began showing their hands. Auto giants — some of which were increasingly aware that they were moving into relatively uncharted territory Read More...
Record low solar energy bid in Abu Dhabi
The price of solar energy keeps rapidly falling. In May a Dubai project broke the 3 cents per kilowatt-hour record with a 2.99 cents bid. Last month Chile set a 2.91 cents price. Now two companies have offered to build the cheapest solar power plant on record in Abu Dhabi. Their bid: 2.42 cents per Read More...
High-speed internet is now a basic right to all Canadians
No one in Canada will be complaining about slow internet speeds in the coming years after the Canadian government declared that high-speed broadband internet is a “basic” right that should be accessible to all. The government is supporting the national telecoms regulator with a $750 million Read More...
UK hits clean energy milestone: 50% of electricity from low carbon sources
Half of the UK’s electricity came from wind turbines, solar panels, wood burning and nuclear reactors between July and September, in a milestone first. Official figures published on Thursday show low carbon power, which has been supported by the government to meet climate change targets, Read More...