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.
Experts weigh In: Cost of wind energy to keep going down, down, down
Here’s more bad news for fossil fuels: The U.S. Department of Energy just released the results of a global survey of 163 wind energy experts. The verdict: The cost of wind energy will drop between 24 and 30 percent by 2030, from a 2014 baseline. In addition, a total reduction of 35 to 41 Read More...
World’s Largest Repurposed EV Battery Facility Under Construction In Germany
Germany expects 40 to 45% of the electrical power consumed in Germany to be generated from renewable resources by 2025. That number is anticipated to grow to 55 to 60% by 2035. That’s good news for greening the electrical grid, but renewables still require some form of storage medium, such as Read More...
The latest car from Peugeot runs on… air
More on car innovation: Compressed air doesn’t sound a likely fuel for cars. However, French automaker Peugeot is building a hybrid gasoline car that can store energy as compressed air. The air-hybrid car can achieve 81 miles per gallon while emitting just a fraction of the carbon dioxide per Read More...
Please cross safely when this self-driving car smiles
It must be terribly fun and inspiring to work as an engineer in the fast-developing field of self-driving cars: Working on challenging technology breakthroughs while integrating gadgets and features to please the consumer. Here’s a great example: This car smiles to let pedestrians know that it Read More...
Sell last gasoline car by 2035 to meet climate goals, study says
The last gasoline-powered car will have to be sold by about 2035 to put the world on track to limit global warming to the most stringent goal set by world leaders last year, a study said on Thursday. The report, by a Climate Action Tracker (CAT) backed by three European research groups, said a Read More...
Global investment in energy falls but renewables remain strong
Global investment in energy fell by 8% last year to $1.8tn (£1.4), reflecting low oil and gas prices and cost falls in the sector, new data shows. Nearly half of the decline was accounted for by the US, where plunging oil prices and a recent boom in shale gas, along with cost deflation in the Read More...
This fabric produces energy from light and movement
Researchers have developed a fabric that can harvest energy from the sun and movement at the same time. The fabric could be used to create power-generating clothing, creating a new meaning for the word wearable. So far the technology can only generate a couple volts a minute, but researchers Read More...
Long-awaited plan divvies up California desert for renewable energy
Swaths of public land in the California desert will be opened to solar and wind farms under a federal plan released Wednesday that preserves much of the landscape for conservation and recreation. The long-awaited blueprint finalized by the U.S. Interior Department after a years-long process seeks Read More...
Our reporter goes for a spin in a self-driving Uber car
To catch up, Uber spent $680 million — roughly 1 percent of the company’s value — to buy Otto and its team of robotics veterans. Based in San Francisco, Uber has also poured millions of dollars into hiring hundreds of employees and spent more than 18 months getting the Advanced Read More...
India is calling on godmen to promote solar energy
India is in need of more energy to feed its economy, so to fill the void, the Narendra Modi government is asking spiritual leaders to install solar power unities in their ashrams, or hermitages, and to promote solar energy among millions of their followers. India hopes to create 40,000MW of rooftop Read More...