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.
After decades of terrible pollution, a dirty coal plant turns into a solar farm
We will see this kind of news more and more. Last week the Danish state energy company announced it was divesting its oil and gas assets to invest in wind energy. Now, at the site where a polluting coal-fired power plant was closed in 2014, ground was broken on a 5.76-megawatt solar array—enough Read More...
The Second Law of Thermodynamics may not work always, and that’s important
This is not easy, but it is important. According to the Second Law of Thermodynamics entropy in the universe must always increase. That is: A fried egg will never become an egg again and free energy or perpetual motion is impossible. And, yet, we live in an endless universe where energy Read More...
Santa Monica, as first city in the world, requires net-zero new homes from 2017
It’s not easy to understand why city governments don't already require that all new commercial buildings need to have solar panels on their roofs. That seems a simple measure that will generate a lot of clean, renewable energy. Ideally, such a measure would apply to all new buildings including Read More...
Germany is building the world’s first wind turbines with built-in hydroelectric batteries
Wind blows. Water falls. But for the first time, one is now powering the other. Engineers in Germany are storing water for hydroelectricity inside wind turbines allowing the towers act like massive batteries once the wind stops blowing. It’s the first major example of the two technologies Read More...
“Coal does not alleviate poverty; it makes the poor poorer”
The argument is often made that the poor in developing countries need power more than anything else for their progress. That’s why coal-fired power plants in these countries are promoted. A dozen international poverty and development organizations published a report on the impact of building new Read More...
If Spain would be a wind farm, it would power the whole planet
Globally, about 4 percent of electricity is generated with wind power. At the same time, research shows that non-urban wind farms have the technical potential to produce up to 40 times the electricity the world consumes. Here’s an interesting calculation: Global electricity consumption comes Read More...
Stanford engineers set record for capturing and storing solar energy in hydrogen fuel
Solar energy has the potential to provide abundant power, but only if scientists solve two key issues: storing the energy for use at all hours, particularly at night, and making the technology more cost effective. Now an interdisciplinary team at Stanford has made significant strides toward solving Read More...
At just $5, this solar lamp is the most affordable in the world
When is the last time that a $5 gadget literally changed your life? OK, other than the banana slicer, that is... Most, if not all, of us have ready access to lighting anytime we need it, for as long as we need it, wherever we need it, thanks to a reliable electricity grid and lighting Read More...
Meet the Chinese electric car startup that wants to take on Ford
In the woods on the outskirts of Beijing, Wang Chao, the ambitious founder of Chinese startup Kaiyun Motors, is behind the wheel of a tiny electric-powered truck he helped design, zipping up and down bumpy terrain with a big smile on his face. The vehicle, he says, "will be as, if not more, Read More...
Elon Musk goes beyond electric cars to cheaper solar roofs
Elon Musk likes to think big. If he’s not trying to fly to Mars, he’s focused on making your next—electric—car the centerpiece of the power distribution to your home. From that approach, it makes sense that Musk—through the Tesla/Solar City combination—wants you to use your roof to Read More...