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.
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...
Californians just saved $192 million via rooftop solar & energy efficiency
The solar-friendly voices at CleanTechnica.com have been saying it; solar advocates everywhere have been saying it; Californians have been saying it — solar saves. Solar saves money, saves the environment, and saves lives in this way. Yes, Californians just saved $192 million via rooftop Read More...
Businesses have seen the light with solar energy and it's finally paying off
A visit to a small hospital in northern Ghana changed Mahama Nyankamawu’s life forever. “It was dark, they had no electricity and the medicines they had had all gone bad,” recalled the 40-year-old, who went to the hospital after a car accident in 2014. The experience inspired Read More...
Scientists uncover material that can transform solar power
Solar panels are made with a form of silicon that does not come naturally. The silicon needs to be extracted it first and then heated up to separate it from the oxygen. This process requires lots of energy. Scientists have found a cheaper alternative: Perovskites. Perovskites are minerals that Read More...
Sweden opens world's first electric highway
Sweden opened a stretch of electric highway, becoming the first country to test electric power for heavy transport. A 22 kilometer (or roughly 13 miles) stretch of the E16 road—which connects Oslo, Norway, to Gävle, Sweden—is fitted with power lines overhead, developed by Siemens, Read More...
Germany's electric car discount scheme spurs new BMW i3 sales
BMW has recorded rising sales of the latest version of its electric car, the i3, following the Berlin government's push to subsidize electric cars, weekly German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS) said. Citing company sources, FAS said that orders for the new i3 with a longer Read More...