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.
World record: 25% of the new cars in Norway are electric
Norway leads the world when it comes to the introduction of electric cars. In the first three months of 2016 25 percent of all newly registered autos in the country were plug-in electric vehicles. The Netherlands, Europe’s second-biggest per capita buyers of electric vehicles, trails with 1.8 Read More...
Off the (failing) grid in North Korea, where solar energy is a hot commodity
Think of it as a North Korean Best Buy — a shop stuffed with refrigerators, karaoke machines, laptop computers and flat-screen TVs. But with a square footage closer to a typical American 7-Eleven than a big-box store, the Pothonggang Information Technology Center has to be selective about Read More...
Scotland strengthens leadership in wind energy with $4 billion investment in offshore farm
Scotland confirms its status as a world leader in wind energy with a £2.6 billion ($3.8 billion) offshore wind farm investment. The Beatrice Offshore Windfarm will power 450,000 homes and is described the project as "one of the largest private investments ever made in Scottish infrastructure." Read More...
Sunshine can provide all U.S. electricity through solar-thermal energy
Interest in a 19th-century technology, solar thermal energy, is rising. Solar thermal technology uses mirrors to create heat and steam to power turbines to produce electricity. A Silicon Valley company says it can provide all of the electricity needs of the U.S., including a switch to electric Read More...
Could UAE solar push lead a trend for the Gulf?
As the Gulf states take steps to expand their use of clean energy, a bold plan by the United Arab Emirates to boost its use of renewable electricity from less than 1 percent to 24 percent in the next five years could be a game-changer for the region, experts say. Much of the world is moving away Read More...
World Bank approves $750 million for solar power projects in India
India’s rooftop solar power program received a major boost from the World Bank after that international financial institution approved a huge sum of debt funding. The World Bank recently announced that it approved $625 million to facilitate the implementation of rooftop solar power projects Read More...
SunPower to provide solar energy to power Santiago subway
SunPower Corp. agreed to provide electricity from a 100-megawatt solar farm to help power the subway system in Chile’s largest city. Power from the El Pelicano Solar Project will provide as much as 60 percent of Metro of Santiago’s total energy needs, San Jose, California-based SunPower Read More...
Solar plane lands in Ohio on latest leg of round-the-world flight
An experimental airplane powered solely by energy from the sun landed in Ohio on Saturday night on the latest leg of its historic bid by pilots and developers to fly around the globe without a drop of fuel. The single-seat Solar Impulse 2 aircraft arrived in Dayton shortly before 10 p.m. local Read More...
Nissan home energy-storage battery: another front against Tesla?
The Nissan Leaf electric car doesn't compete directly with any of the luxury models from Tesla Motors, but Nissan is now targeting Tesla in a different arena. The Japanese carmaker will offer standalone battery packs for home energy storage. Available for pre-order in September, the xStorage line Read More...
Renewable energy storage: A train filled with rocks on a hill
The storage of renewable energy is a challenge as the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow. The cutting-edge technology solution comes from ever more clever batteries. But what about a 19th century solution for a 21st century problem, with help from the abundant natural Read More...