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.
Battery investment makes wind and solar more viable
Yesterday we reported that wind is the cheapest form of energy. A major hurdle for wind and solar energy to overcome is power storage—peak wind and solar production hours often can’t handle peak usage time and storing energy has been too costly. Now an energy utility that powers 14 million Read More...
Wind power is the cheapest energy source
Clean energy sources are slowly taking over, and though the prices of solar adoption are falling at record rates, wind power is actually the least expensive source of energy. An EU analysis reported that on a per megawatt/hour basis onshore wind energy was cheaper than gas, coal, and nuclear power Read More...
Inventors of low-energy LED win Nobel prize
If you remember LED lights from about 10 years ago then you know what they used to look like: Harsh, bright, and fluorescent—unsuitable to be used as a main source of light. Now LED lights produce almost the same color as incandescent bulbs—made possible by the invention of blue LEDs, the last Read More...
Solar cells that store their own power
A major problem with solar power is that they lose 20 percent of their energy when transferring electrons from the solar panel to the battery. A new solar design has solved that problem by combining the two and creating a solar cell that stores its own electricity. The panels are made up of a Read More...
Sharing economy lets you buy power from your neighbor
Airbnb lets you rent a room from a stranger, ride sharing service Lyft and Uber are cheaper, and often faster than taxis. Now a Dutch company called Vandebron lets you buy and sell electricity to and from your neighbor—cutting out the utility company middleman. The way it works is consumers go to Read More...
Sunflower solar design could be industry leader
IBM has revealed a new type of solar array that is capable of capturing more of the sun’s energy than any other design. The IBM prototype can convert 80 percent of the sun’s energy into electricity and hot water. Each array is 30-feet tall and made of concrete, thin aluminum mirrors, and a Read More...
Efficient way to store solar energy keeps generators on all night
An Israeli solar power company says they have a new way to store solar to use during the night. Its solar fields in the Negev desert harness solar power at night by heating a liquid to 550 degrees Celsius. Then the hot liquid is used to produce steam and spin a turbine. The process is old but the Read More...
First car powered by saltwater hits streets in Europe
The first electric car powered by saltwater will soon be rolling through European cities. Nanoflowcell, a Lichtenstein based car manufacturer, has just received approval to start testing its innovative electric car on streets and highways in Germany. The car produces power similar to a hydrogen Read More...
The greening of cities around the world
Slowly but surely cities are adopting green energy targets that will have major global impacts. But where it might be difficult to see the path to net zero energy in any city powered by non-renewable energy sources, compartmentalizing each step to net zero creates more attainable goals, which can Read More...
Hydrogen production breakthrough could lead to widespread adoption
A major problem with eco-friendly energy sources is that the energy from wind and solar often has to be used immediately. Chemists have come up with a new way to create hydrogen that is 30 times faster than current methods. If the new process is coupled with solar and wind power a major Read More...