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.
UN experts and analysts plan to reinvigorate the “Great Green Wall”
The African Great Green Wall is a titanic ambition to restore an 8,000 square kilometer expanse across the continent, from Djibouti in the East to Senegal in the West. In the face of increasing desertification from climate change, the initiative aims to restore 100 million hectares (386,000 square Read More...
This newly developed “heat battery” could make millions of homes gas-free
After 12 years of research and development, a team of scientists from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands believes that their “heat battery” can soon get millions of homes in Europe off of their gas dependency—and considering the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, this Read More...
Indian court rules in favor of “mother nature’s” rights
It’s hard to describe the growth of an environmental movement without an inappropriate natural disaster metaphor: a wave of legislation, laws spreading like wildfire, or a mighty wind of change. None of those feel quite right, but the wave — darn it — for nature’s rights is moving fast and Read More...
This Louisiana startup turns glass into sand and increases climate resiliency
There is seemingly no end to the variety and ingenuity scientists and researchers have when it comes to recycling. They have taken plastic waste and treated it to absorb CO2. They have taken human waste and turned it into viable renewable energy. Louisiana startup Glass Half Full is turning Read More...
How beneficial bacteria could help protect corals from bleaching
With water temperatures rising as a result of climate change, corals are finding it increasingly difficult to survive. Probiotics could help provide a potential solution to help these crucial marine ecosystems become more resilient against stresses related to climate change. A team of researchers Read More...
US announces $3 billion electric vehicle battery production
We at The Optimist Daily are enormous electric vehicle fans, and we’re not the only ones. Demand for electric vehicles has risen so sharply around the world that manufacturers and supply chains are struggling to keep up. To help things along, state and federal governments are stepping up to Read More...
Pitch is important in the mating songs of male wood frogs
Most species in the world perform some kind of courtship ritual to ensure they are choosing a partner with strong genes of the same species. For many birds that means hopping around and dancing, or for Drosophila flies this equates to intricate scissoring wing patterns. Wood frog courtship Wood Read More...
To breakfast or not to breakfast? Scientists weigh in
Some people stand by the statement that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, while others skip it altogether. According to findings of a 2019 research review that looked at 13 breakfast studies, eating breakfast in the morning wasn’t a reliable way to lose weight, and skipping Read More...
This “extreme” plant could be the beginning of climate-resistant crops
We tend to think of crops as delicate and temperamental, that they require a lot of care and particular conditions to grow in. While this is certainly true for, say, avocados, which require incredible amounts of water naturally found in tropical rainforests, some crops evolved to live and thrive in Read More...
Dutch startup purifies air in urban areas by wrapping buildings in moss
Now that we are aware of the great environmental and health benefits of integrating green spaces in our cities, many urban areas are beginning to design new buildings with foliage in mind. What should we do, though, about the concrete buildings that already exist? Dutch startup Respyre has a Read More...