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.
For the first time ever, scientists sequence entire human genome
Sequencing the entirety of the human genome is an enormous undertaking that would drastically improve our understanding of ourselves, especially regarding disease and evolution. More than two decades ago, the Human Genome Project began to unravel the mysteries of the human genome, publishing its Read More...
Archaeologists examine ancient Egyptian tomb by smells
If you were asked to smell inside a sarcophagus, do you think you’d be excited? After a recent discovery in Egypt, though, more archaeologists certainly are excited and turning to smell as a viable tool to learn more about the past from what survived into the present. Tomb of the architect and Read More...
Hubble Telescope spots farthest star ever recorded
We've set a new benchmark in the world of stars: the farthest individual star ever seen to date. This one has a predicted mass at least 50 times that of our Sun and is millions of times brighter, plus, was created within the first billion years of the Big Bang. This may seem like a long time after Read More...
"Invisible" UV bull's-eye is vital in attracting pollinators to flowers
Here at The Optimist Daily, we hold a special tenderness in our hearts for our planet's pollinators. Mini-beasts, like bees and butterflies, have the integral role of spreading pollen from plant-to-plant facilitating their reproduction. In return, the plants provide the insects with the delicious Read More...
Scientists create "game-changing" synthetic antibiotics
Antibiotic resistant bacteria have been looming over humans for decades, with a predicted 10 million deaths in 2050 if we don't find a solution. There are multiple methods being tested to fight drug resistant bacteria such as bacteriophage therapy and antivitamins. A pioneering approach A new Read More...
Achieving quality along with quantity: an Optimist’s View on aging
“Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” - Betty Friedan By Oliver Kammeyer I live on a bike path, and just a half-mile east of my place there’s a coffee shop that’s always packed. It seems every day the customers compete to see who can wake up earliest to Read More...
Turns out there are ice volcanoes on Pluto. Here's how they work
We learn more fascinating and otherworldly things about our universe the farther out into space we explore. Some of our discoveries bend our understanding of science, and some completely baffle us. This is the case now that scientists have confirmed that there are, in fact, ice volcanoes on Read More...
Scientists make breakthrough in making truly hypoallergenic cats
Do your allergies prevent you from getting the cuddly cat you’ve always wanted? Well, the revolutionary gene-editing technology CRISPR might just make your cat-owning dreams come true. A team of researchers from the Virginia-based biotech company InBio has applied CRISPR in studies focused on Read More...
How your microbiome can affect your mood
Food can convey such an array of emotions. People can express love to their partners with their cooking. An exquisite and rare dish could make a dreary vacation totally worth it. A healthy meal can perk you up, and fast food can, ironically, make you feel sluggish. Food can make us feel so many Read More...
Ultrathin "honeycomb" solar panels achieve record efficiency
One day, cities and hopefully everything else will be powered by renewable resources like wind and solar. To do that, though, we will need to continue to improve on our renewable tech, like creating solar panels that can absorb solar energy in many different levels of sunlight. A new development Read More...