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.
Study: Electric vehicles can handle almost 90 percent of all car travel
“Range anxiety” is a stumbling block preventing an even faster rise of the electric car. Consumers are afraid that they may get stuck with an empty battery. However, new research shows that this concern is overblown. Researchers have found that electric cars could replace 87 percent of the Read More...
California is turning traffic jams into energy
California’s freeways are famous for having heavy traffic, but soon they will be known for something much better. The freeways will produce energy, thanks to a pilot program approved by the California Energy Commission that will install piezoelectric crystals on several freeways Piezoelectric Read More...
Offshore wind could replace U.K nuclear power plant at same cost
Britain could scrap the 18 billion-pound ($23 billion) nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point and get the same amount of electricity from offshore wind turbines for roughly the same investment. That’s the assessment of Bloomberg New Energy Finance following Prime Minister Theresa May’s Read More...
California bill would require more zero-emissions cars
California's tougher-than-usual climate change policy might become more stringent before long. Assemblywoman Autumn Burke tells the Associate Press that she's introducing a bill requiring that car manufacturers sell at least 15 percent zero-emissions free vehicles within a decade. Companies Read More...
Scotland produces more wind energy than it needs
As wind speeds hit 115 mph on the top of the Cairngorms on the first Sunday of August, Scotland’s windfarms produced more electricity than the country needed for the first time on record. The performance of Scotland’s onshore and offshore turbines, producing 106 per cent of the Read More...
Dropping prices for renewables makes transitioning from coal a bargain
When Oregon passed legislation that requires utilities to stop generating electricity from coal by 2030, utility company Pacific Power claimed the switch to renewable energy would skyrocket the price of electricity. Clean energy project developers came out with a report that suggests otherwise, Read More...
Growing number of firms back electric fleet transition
Go Ultra Low Company announces over 60 organisations have now committed make at least five per cent of their fleets electric by 2020 Transport for London (TfL) and the University of Cambridge are among 65 public and private sector organisations that have pledged to promote the adoption of electric Read More...
Audi has come up with a suspension system that turns rough roads into electricity
Engineers at Audi have created a prototype shock absorber that would give you a new appreciation for bumpy roads. Dubbed the ‘eROT,’ this shock absorber generates kinetic energy generated by the movement of the car’s suspension while making the ride much smoother. With each little movement, Read More...
Elon Musk wants to make your roof entirely out of solar panels
Instead of installing solar panels on top of roofs, why don’t we just construct rooftops made out of solar panels? During SolarCity’s latest earnings call, Elon Musk unveiled that his company is developing a “solar roof” that would utilize every inch of space to produce energy for the home Read More...
China's LeEco to invest $1.8 billion in electric car factory
China's Le Holdings Co Ltd, also known as LeEco, said on Wednesday it would invest 12 billion yuan ($1.8 billion) to build an electric car plant in eastern China with eventual annual production capacity of 400,000 cars. The company said in a statement its first China factory would be built in two Read More...