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.
Renewable energy off Danish coast fuels inspiration
The Danish island of Samso had an energy crisis, their remote location made them pay top dollar for energy created by dirty fossil fuels. But what was once a barrier to success—their isolated island home—is proving to be very lucrative thanks to renewable energy sources in the form of ocean Read More...
Tiny device harvests energy while you walk
New wearable devices are coming out almost every week, but many of them have to be charged, or run on replicable batteries—a 20th century problem for 21st century technology. Now German researchers have come up with small devices that lie buried in the heel of your shoe that generate energy as Read More...
Acupuncture pen checks for vitamins
We all need vitamins and minerals, and many of us are vitamin and mineral deficient. But what vitamins should you take? How do you know? Sure you could go to the doctor, but often our vitamin and mineral levels can change by the day. Now there’s a new acupuncture pen, called Vitastiq, that when Read More...
3D printers used to fight malaria
Malaria kills 1300 children per day. Doctors say that early diagnosis is key to surviving malaria, but getting test kits to rural parts of the developing world, where malaria is deadliest, can be difficult. Now engineers and doctors from Vanderbilt University have come up with a 3D printed malaria Read More...
Booming cities show opportunity for clean energy shift
Cities around the world are exploding in population. They’re also the largest consumers of energy and their thirst is expected to triple in the next 35 years. While some see this as an environmental death sentence, a recent study that examined growing cities, and future energy sources had a Read More...
Germany’s new energy plan is proving successful
Germany is undergoing what they call ‘Energiewende,’ English for ‘energy transition’. The German state is undergoing a serious shift from fossil fuel dominated energy sources to one that’s full of renewables. Critics of the new energy plan said that the mere shift would cause an increase Read More...
California on track to meet renewable goals
California is the largest state in the union, has the 5th largest economy in the world, and provides the majority of the food for the rest of the US. California is also leading the way for clean energy initiatives. Programs set in place by the current governor, and governors before him, have Read More...
Help cancer patients by playing a mobile game
Those who are diagnosed with cancer face a hard decision: Treatment or not? People respond to treatment differently. Doctors have backlogs of data that show how different patients responded to different treatments, but they are unanalyzed, and analyzing them would take years. Enter Reverse The Read More...
Drones used to protect wildlife
So far drones have been used to ferry tuberculosis tests around Papua New Guinea, and track deforestation in Sumatra. Now drones are being used to keep track of wildlife from the jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the shores of British Columbia (BC). The drones are watching hippos Read More...
Americans calling for solar and wind
Americans by large prefer alternative fuels like wind and solar instead of coal, oil, or nuclear energy—natural gas lands somewhere in between, with pros and cons. The findings were the results of a recently published study conducted over the past 12 years by Harvard researchers. Around 80 Read More...