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.
People love renewable energy, so why don't politicians get it?
Robin Hood: one of Britain’s best-loved folk heroes. He speaks to our national love of subverting the rules. Fighting against institutional injustice, he protected the most vulnerable from the predatory practices of a corrupt establishment. Nottingham city council’s new not-for-profit energy Read More...
Lightweight solar cells draw inspiration from Japanese art and move with the sun
When solar cells converge with the Japanese paper art form of kirigami, the result is something beautiful. The combination of the two creates light-weight state-of-the-art solar cells that can track the sun, capturing up to 40 percent more energy than conventional solar cells. While solar panels Read More...
The world's biggest automakers think that humans will always want to drive their own cars
Silicon Valley seems to think that the march to self-driving vehicles is inexorable, but the carmaking industry’s biggest players are betting that most drivers prefer to keep their hands on the wheel. According to one estimate, self-driving technology in cars may grow into a $42 billion Read More...
Ocean waves may hold secret to efficient renewable energy
As the demand for renewable wind and solar energy steadily increases, the need to reduce the cost and extend the life of renewable energy storage batteries becomes even greater. By getting back to the basics, a University of Cincinnati quantum chemistry researcher looks at how water and other Read More...
The inevitable solar-powered march of the hydrogen fuel cell
Researchers at Rice University are on to a relatively simple, low-cost way to get pry hydrogen loose from water, using the sun as an energy source. The new system involves channeling high-energy “hot” electrons into a useful purpose before they get a chance to cool down. If the research Read More...
Toyota presents world’s first mass produced hydrogen-powered car
After two decades of research, the Toyota Mirai—which means future in Japanese—has arrived. It’s the world’s first mass-produced hydrogen-powered car and it has the potential to propel the automotive industry into a new direction. Like Tesla and many other new models, the Mirai has an Read More...
India demands coal power plants to subsidize solar energy
India has found a way to help the distribution of more solar power. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ordered some of India's oldest coal-fired power plants to help make solar farms more competitive. This way, the dirty coal industry is forced to subsidize the clean energy sector. You could see it Read More...
Astronauts report an “overview effect” from the awe of space travel—and you can replicate it here on Earth
The view of earth from space is so spectacular that it can apparently transform astronauts’ perspectives on life—and even draw these scientists toward religion and spiritualism. “Something happens to you out there,” Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell has said. “You develop an instant Read More...
This multifunctional cookstove helps save lives, energy and money
It is little known to those of us living in the Western world that cooking is the fourth biggest killer in the world. A third of the world cooks indoors using solid fuels on makeshift stoves that create toxic smoke that’s both detrimental to health and to the environment. Sickened by the Read More...
Laser breakthrough could speed the rise of self-driving cars
LIDAR is a portmanteau of “light” and “radar.” In essence, these sensors monitor their surroundings by shining a light on an object and measuring the time needed for it to bounce back. They work well enough, but they aren’t without their drawbacks. Today’s Read More...