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.
Toyota wants gasoline cars to go the way of the dinosaurs
I seem to recall a period not that long ago when one’s worth was dependent on the size of one’s wheels. Bush was in office, Kid Rock topped the charts, and electric cars were about as common as unicorns. In those dark times of giant, gas-guzzling SUVs, otherwise decent humans drove Read More...
Volkswagen is going electric to overcome diesel scandal
Analysts believe Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scandal will speed up the transition to electric cars. Volkswagen is betting on that too. That’s why the German automaker is making a quick U-turn from diesel and going full throttle to further develop its own hybrid and electric cars to save its Read More...
Ethiopia aims for economic growth while becoming climate neutral
It's often said that going carbon neutral is only an option for countries that are rich enough to afford it. Well, Ethiopia seems to show it's an option for one of the poorest nations too. Unlike many of its sub-Saharan neighbors, which have embraced economic growth at the expense of environmental Read More...
Australia’s energy future could be network of renewable micro-grids
Australia’s energy markets are on the cusp of rapid change, but it is not just the prospect of individuals quitting the grid that represents the biggest challenge to industry incumbents: it’s the possible defection of whole towns and communities. The creation of micro-grids is seen by Read More...
The US is about to hit a big solar energy milestone
The United States is on track to hit a big number in renewable energy: More than 1 million American homes should have solar panels by February 2016. While solar still makes up a tiny part of the sliver of renewables that power the US, it has increased exponentially in the past decade. And the solar Read More...
A new breakthrough with solar energy cells could make them cheaper and more effective
A new breakthrough in solar energy has the potential to make it cheaper and more viable as a source of renewable energy, according to researchers at Lund University and Uppsala University in Sweden.Historically, developing solar energy cells was a fairly expensive process because they needed to use Read More...
A US state just became the world's greatest renewable energy market
Renewable energy developers, take note. There's a new spot on Earth leading the way for projects in solar, wind, and other sources of green power. That's because of a new bill, signed into law late last week in the state, mandating a massive buildout in renewable power capacity, in a very short Read More...
India to promote use of solar energy
Hundreds of villages in rural India are using clean energy powered by the sun. This month, 61 households in the village of Baripatha in eastern India were given two solar lamps. Villagers had been using kerosene lamps at night. Kerosene produces pollution and can lead to fires. The Indian Read More...
Could Tesla's Model X drive us towards electric cars for all?
The launch of Tesla's long-awaited Model X electric car has received the sort of adulation that we've come to expect of new products from Apple. The Model X is a SUV with gull-wing doors – as made famous by the DeLorean from the film "Back to the Future" – giving it the appearance of a Read More...
The CEO and the activist: Meet the renewable energy odd couple
One wears an impeccably tailored navy blue suit. The other sports a giraffe-print dashiki shirt. Meet the renewable-energy odd couple, the environmental activist and his onetime target, the chief of Italy’s largest utility. A year ago, Kumi Naidoo, the head of Greenpeace International, and Read More...