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.
"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...
Study reveals how our minds hold information
Memory is a funny thing. We’ve all walked into a room, only to forget the reason we entered or lost an item we are sure we saw on the side cabinet. As we age, this typically gets worse, with our working memories declining and everyday tasks becoming more difficult to perform. The anterior Read More...
MIT system uses machine-learning to reduce traffic and car emissions
As if idling in a line of cars at a red light forever wasn’t bothersome enough, vehicles emit greenhouse gasses while they’re stopped in traffic. Not only that, exposure to excess vehicle emissions while idling in traffic can be a major health risk. What if drivers could time their trips Read More...
How scientists are bringing human eye cells back from the dead
Scientists from Switzerland and the US were able to achieve something miraculous—some might even say Biblical: bringing dead human cells back to life! The team published a study that opens by defining death as the irreversible cessation of circulatory, respiratory, or brain activity. The paper Read More...
New Zealand passes landmark climate legislation, helping switch to EVs
New Zealand has one of the highest per capita carbon emissions rates in the world, but it still has a strong reputation for environmentally responsible behavior. In the spirit of the latter, it plans to help with the former and has just passed landmark legislation that may set a standard for other Read More...
This is the world’s first ocean carbon-removing machine
Cutting greenhouse gas emissions at the source should be the main goal when tackling climate change, but the most recent IPCC report also recommends carbon capture and storage technologies as key parts of the effort to limit global warming to 1.5°C. The startup Heimdal is well aware of the need Read More...
This robot chef can perfectly season your food
Robots are commonly being recruited to solve many problems for humans in society. One of their incredible uses is in food preparation, with some being able to cook and plate up entire meals. An issue that still needs to be tackled in this area is their ability to adapt to seasoning. The texture Read More...
Wetlands, the super carbon sink, and rewilding the Illinois River
After forests, wetlands are the greatest terrestrial carbon sink. These boggy and busy pools of life used to be thought of as a nuisance for people and communities, drained of their water or dug up for peat fuel. Now, we understand the quiet service that wetlands provide us and the Read More...
Lunar agriculture: first plants grown in soil from the Moon
Popular science fiction has depicted the colonization and even the rowing of crops on Mars many times. From the books of Isaac Asimov to The Martian, the Red Planet has pervaded artistic minds as the next place for humans to call home. But what about the closest place to Earth? What about the Read More...