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.
Solar energy firms get loans to light up rural Tanzania
When Tanzanian company ARTI Energy brought solar lights to Kiromo village in the eastern district of Bagamoyo eight years ago, local people were excited but found them expensive. "I really liked those lamps, but I could not imagine then that I would ever own one," recalled Kiromo resident Salum Read More...
Wind energy supplied 83% of South Australia’s electricity on Monday
Extreme weather conditions across Australia’s south-east have helped wind energy to deliver more than two-thirds of South Australia’s electricity over the weekend, and even higher levels on Monday, with wind turbines providing a huge 83 per cent of the state’s power needs in the Read More...
Nasa is investing $43 million in electric, environmentally friendly planes
While the rise of the electric car is well underway, electric, environmentally friendly planes seem still a distant future. However, NASA is seriously investing in making electric planes a reality. The space agency’s 10-year plan revolves around designing and building a line of Read More...
Could self-driving cars be one solution to police shootings during traffic stops?
The shooting death of Philando Castile in a St. Paul suburb last week started out as a police traffic stop for a broken taillight. [Fatal police shooting in Minnesota sparks protests across country] It’s a familiar refrain when it comes to officer-involved shootings that Read More...
Chinese automaker plans self-driving, electric car by 2020
An automotive venture backed by China tech giant Tencent aims to launch an electric self-driving car before 2020, entering a crowded field dominated by US-based Tesla Motors, the chief executive told Reuters on Tuesday. Future Mobility, backed by Tencent and Hon Hai Precision Industries, is one of Read More...
Chile passes major transmission law to benefit of solar
The Chilean Congress has passed a major law on electricity transmission, which will help the development of both renewable and non-renewable energy projects. Under the policy, which was entered into the Congress in October 2015, a new national interconnected power system will be established Read More...
Renewable energy programs helping distressed areas of California with quality jobs, study says
California’s push to develop more renewable energy, including solar and wind power, is creating well-paying jobs that are concentrated in economically distressed parts of the state, according to a new study released Read More...
How affordable solar energy is transforming lives in India
The world is in the midst of a solar power revolution. In under two decades, the solar PV industry has evolved from being niche to one poised to take on the utility incumbents as an affordable mainstream energy source. However, right now solar and wind still make up only 1 to 2 percent of the Read More...
A Tesla co-founder is making electric garbage trucks powered by jet engines
Jet engines have revolutionized air travel since their invention in the 1930s. But now a Tesla co-founder sees them revolutionizing something else: garbage trucks. Such trucks are mostly associated with early morning wake-ups, diesel fumes, and the stench of rotting garbage. Garbage trucks are Read More...
Cutting the cable: Kangaroo Island eyes switch to 100% renewable energy
Kangaroo Island is one of the great icons of Australian tourism. As Andrew Boardman, the chief executive of the Kangaroo Island council, says: “You can’t buy a name like that.” But now the third-biggest island in Australia, which lies just 120kms from Adelaide, wants to make its Read More...