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.
Sweden announces record $1.5 billion for climate and renewables
Sweden announced a record budget for climate and renewable energy projects. “Today we present the largest-ever climate and environment budget in Sweden,” Prime Minister Stefan Loefven said at a press conference in Stockholm. “Sweden’s ambition is to become one of the first Read More...
A solar startup emerges to track the sun on roofs and boost productivity
A young solar startup has modified gear that’s commonly used on big ground-based solar panel farms to be used on the rooftops of large buildings. It’s a rare entrepreneurial effort to build a new type of solar hardware in an industry that is increasingly focused on lowering costs. On Read More...
Geely's Volvo and Autoliv team up in autonomous driving
Chinese-owned Volvo Car Group and auto safety group Autoliv said on Tuesday they would form a joint venture to develop autonomous driving software as automotive firms across the industry race to embrace the emerging technology. The two Sweden-based companies said in separate statements the new Read More...
99 ways self-driving cars will totally change everything (sooner than you think)
The future is nearly here. Uber has self-driving cars in Pittsburgh, and maybe San Francisco. Google has new patents. One way or another, we're getting truly autonomous vehicles, and soon. How big a deal is this? Huge. It's up there with the advent of the Internet, railroads in the 1800s, and Read More...
There’s a battle over renewable energy in the states; and the fossil fuel interests are losing
In state capitals across the country, legislators are debating proposals to roll back environmental rules, prodded by industry and advocacy groups eager to curtail regulations aimed at curbing greenhouse gases. The measures, which have been introduced in about 18 states, lie at the heart of an Read More...
New tool can calculate renewable energy output anywhere in the world
Researchers have created an interactive web tool to estimate the amount of energy that could be generated by wind or solar farms at any location. The tool, called Renewables.ninja, aims to make the task of predicting renewable output easier for both academics and industry. The creators, from Read More...
Eastern US grid can handle 30 percent renewable energy
The Intertubes are buzzing over a new Energy Department report that predicts renewable energy can crank up the entire eastern United States power grid, to the tune of 30 percent. That’s pretty good news for businesses hoping to burnish their green cred by accessing more wind and solar energy. Read More...
Poll shows majority of Scots in favor of renewable energy
Over three fifths of Scots would like to see Scotland generate all of its electricity from renewable sources, according to a new poll. The results of the poll conducted by nfpSynergy on behalf of WWF Scotland in April found that out of 1,000 people surveyed, 61% said they would like to see a Read More...
This country has run on renewable energy for the past 113 days
When it comes to transitioning to clean energy, no country has done it better than Costa Rica. The Central American country has run on renewable energy for 113 days straight and is on pace to break its own record from 2015, when it relied on nothing but renewables for 285 days of the year. Costa Read More...
Self-Driving Ubers Appear in San Francisco
SFist has spotted Uber’s self-driving cars on the streets of San Francisco, bearing their trademark menacing sensor array and the logo of Uber ATC, the ride-hailing behemoth’s research arm. An SFist reporter captured video of one of the vehicles in motion–barely–through SF Read More...