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.
Not a pipe dream: Harvesting clean energy from cities’ water supply
If you’re prepared to harvest it, there’s energy everywhere. Here’s a source you may have never thought of: In cities’ drinking water pipes there’s near-constant running water that can be tapped for energy. That’s exactly what LucidEnergy in Portland, Oregon is doing. They put turbines Read More...
New technology could reduce wind energy costs
Engineers from the University of Sheffield have developed a novel technique to predict when bearings inside wind turbines will fail which could make wind energy cheaper. The method, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society A and developed by Mechanical Engineering research student Read More...
Electric cars are only as green as their power grid
President Barack Obama has just announced America's "first-ever national standards to limit carbon pollution from power plants." His "Clean Power Plan" calls for a 32 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels by 2030. Why? America's electricity is still mostly coal-fired, with Read More...
Ford survey finds 90% of electric car owners plan to stick with electric drive
A new survey of plug-in hybrid and electric car drivers by Ford Motor Company finds that 90% of the 10,000 people surveyed like driving a plug-in hybrid or electric car and have no plans to go back to driving a gasoline-powered car in the future. Most of those who participated in the survey said Read More...
Meet Australia's Immortus Solar Car
The Immortus solar car is a bespoke electric sports car from EVX Ventures, a partnership between the electric vehicle research group at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, and experienced local engineers who have designed and produced award-winning solar racing cars. The EVX Read More...
Full speed ahead: How the driverless car could transform cities
Just like Ford’s Model T, which debuted in 1908, today’s automobiles have four tires, a steering wheel, and seats. Henry Ford would have little trouble behind the wheel, but he would be completely baffled by the technology under the hood. Cars today are, in many ways, high-performance Read More...
England plans to build charge-as-you-drive 'electric motorways'
The rapid rise of the electric car still faces a substantial obstacle that keeps many people from buying them: their limited range. Nobody likes the risk of stalling on the highway after the car battery runs out. The UK government wants to solve the problem with a wireless power-transfer technology Read More...
Solar energy is most popular energy source among majority of Australians
While Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott insists coal is the future, the Australian people seem to have a different preference. Climate Institute's annual report on public attitudes on climate change and its solutions shows that of all energy sources solar is the most popular among Australians Read More...
Chile mines turn to renewable energy
The three industrial boilers at the state-owned Codelco mine high in the mountains here once consumed 67,000 barrels of diesel a year to turn out shiny copper sheets for export. Now, the job is powered by nearly 3,000 solar panels that take advantage of the Atacama Desert’s cloudless blue Read More...
Luxury car maker Fisker to build cars in Southern California
Fisker Automotive is back in business. The luxury car maker has signed a lease for a 550,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Moreno Valley. In this 2012 photo, reporters gather around a Fisker Karma during the Los Angeles Auto Show. Fisker Automotive is back in business. The luxury car maker Read More...