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.
L.A. could remove 100,000 cars over five years . . . By adding more cars?
A new raft of plans to get 100,000 cars off the roads in the next five years contains one amazing, only-in-L.A. proposal: adding almost 10,000 cars. A new report from the nonprofit Shared-Use Mobility Center envisions, among many other sensible ideas, adding 8,400 cars to the city’s car-share Read More...
Improved water splitting advances renewable energy conversion
Washington State University researchers have found a way to more efficiently create hydrogen from water -- an important key in making renewable energy production and storage viable. The researchers, led by professors Yuehe Lin and Scott Beckman in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Read More...
The world installs 500,000 solar panels a day; China two wind turbines per hour
This is how fast it goes, according to new data of the International Energy Agency (IEA) in a new report on renewable energy. Many future energy scenarios include dark forecasts about the increase of pollution in China through more and more coal-fired power plants. But all that coal may never get Read More...
Uber’s self-driving truck makes its first delivery: 50,000 Budweisers
Walt Martin is kneeling, legs folded behind him, butt resting on his heels. “I’ve got to practice my yoga,” he says, clearly joking. Never mind that we’re in the cab of an 18-wheeler cruising through Colorado at 55 mph and Martin was, until a moment ago, the Read More...
Hydrogen entrepreneurs at the forefront of the clean car revolution
Hydrogen is regarded by many as the fuel of the future. Hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) are emissions free, can match the performance of regular cars and are set to become increasingly available to consumers. Nonetheless, they have their critics. There’s still division on whether Read More...
Iceland is working on making volcanic magma a renewable energy source
Iceland has begun an initiative that will drill a 5km deep hole into the molten magma that flows through volcanoes. The goal is to use this magma to generate supercritical steam that experts say could generate up 10 times more energy than traditional geothermal wells. The hope is that by doing Read More...
Michael Bloomberg’s plan to get cities ready for self-driving cars
Self-driving cars are coming. Whether it's Tesla's Model 3 or Uber's automated ride-hailing service, many cities will probably start seeing these vehicles on the road in just a few years. But some may not be ready for the change. How cities maintain their roads, train their Read More...
India’s rooftop solar power capacity tops 1 gigawatt
India’s rooftop solar power sector has reached a major milestone in its very ambitious target. According to Bridge To India, a consultancy group, India’s rooftop solar power capacity has topped 1 GW. Rooftop solar power in the country now stands at 1,020 MW with 513 MW capacity added Read More...
The European country which wants to run on 100 per cent renewable energy
The director of one of Spain's top power companies has predicted the country will eventually become 100 per cent relaint on renewable energy. Acciona boss Miguel Ezpeleta said there is currently enough wind energy being generated to power 29m Spanish homes every day. He told Read More...
This company brings renewable power to the people of Haiti with microgrids
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with more than 75 percent of the population living off the grid. That could soon change thanks to a company called Sigora International, which recently created a brand new grid that powers a town of 5,000 in Haiti with renewable energy. The Read More...