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.
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...
Republican governors pass major clean energy bills
Both Illinois and Michigan have passed major clean energy bills in the last hours of their lame duck sessions, encouraged by the state’s Republican governors. Now eyes are on Ohio, where Gov. Kasich may veto a bill that would extend a freeze on the state’s renewable standards, which would leave Read More...
New power plant generates clean energy through wind, solar and geothermal
A newly designed futuristic power plant complex, EXOSPHERE, pioneers a unique paradigm for sustainable buildings in the Dominican Republic. Four wind turbines connect a pair of net-zero towers in the “largest building-integrated wind energy system in the Americas,” according to Read More...
India predicts it will exceed Paris renewable energy target by half
The Indian government has forecast that it will exceed the renewable energy targets set in Paris last year by nearly half and three years ahead of schedule. A draft 10-year energy blueprint published this week predicts India will be generating 57% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2027. Read More...