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.
How a century-old cargo schooner is bringing back emissions-free shipping
The shipping industry is responsible for 2.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions — putting about 940 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. Before 1960, however, when containerization started to take off, cargo schooners were transporting goods around the world Read More...
Engineering students create Tastee Tape—edible tape to keep burritos secure
Do you love burritos but don’t have the restaurant-grade wrapping skills to, you know, keep it together? A group of Maryland college students has come up with a deliciously ingenious solution: edible burrito tape. Student Erin Walsh, a member of the all-woman team of Johns Hopkins University Read More...
This contact lens releases glaucoma medication
While it is treatable, glaucoma remains a serious eye disease that can damage the optic nerve and lead to blindness if left untreated. Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of the disease, and research indicates that it affects 10 percent of those over 75. Researchers from China have Read More...
In a first, gene editing has been carried out in cockroaches
Since its invention, CRISPR-Cas9 has been hailed as the answer to many of our genetic worries. The gene-editing tool has made strides in many areas of research and treatment of diseases, including sickle cell anemia, high cholesterol levels, and the rare eye disease Leber congenital Read More...
The pursuit of nocturnal solar technology is growing
Last month, we wrote a story on solar cells developed by Stanford University that could draw a small amount of power at night, when most would think solar panels would be useless. The endeavor to create solar panels that can draw additional power at night is growing. Now, a collaboration of Read More...
The TILT Time Machine: for those who need help most
Recovery from trauma or addiction can be a painstaking and rigorous process that doesn’t just involve physical recovery. It involves tough psychological work that people can go through with the help of a therapist, but largely progress is made on one’s own. That doesn’t mean they can’t Read More...
This invention extends strawberry shelf life
About a third of our food goes to waste — that’s problematic not only because those bites could instead go toward feeding people in need but also because food waste is responsible for about 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. A lot of that food ends up as waste because we fail to Read More...
This swimming robot shows how bacteria move
We all know it takes some practice learning to swim in the ocean with waves and riptides pulling at us. With some practice and experience, though, it becomes a fun, even fulfilling pastime. Now, imagine how hard it would be if the ocean were tar instead of water. This is essentially what it is Read More...
"Dramatic" success in clinical trials of asthma treatment
According to the AAFA, around 25 million people in the U.S. have asthma, about one in every 13 people. This long-term disease causes swelling and inflammation of the airways, resulting in restriction and discomfort when breathing or even death in some severe cases. Currently, there is no cure for Read More...
“Blue Corridors”: using science and animal instinct to save fish populations
We’ve all marveled at the intrepid salmon swimming against the current, up waterfalls, and avoiding predators to return to its native spawning grounds, or at least we’ve all seen it on a nature show. This behavior is called philopatry, an animal’s tendency to return to its area of birth, and Read More...