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.
High-schooler presents first student-written bill for UK climate education
Youth climate activist Scarlett Westbrook decided that she was fed up with the lack of formal education UK students receive on the devastating climate crisis. At one point during a geography exam, she was even asked to list the benefits of climate change — and while this was disappointing, she Read More...
Doctors in Nepal trial potentially revolutionary leprosy treatment
High up in the mountain ranges of Nepal, a bit south of Kathmandu, doctors at the Anandaban leprosy hospital are trialing a new treatment for skin wounds that could be revolutionary for millions of patients around the world. The study, which is led by the University of Birmingham and funded by Read More...
Recruiting kombucha in the fight for sustainable drinking water
We’ve previously reported about the use of kombucha for a number of innovative reasons. Like stylish compostable shoes, sustainable wood alternatives, and as the key ingredient to boosting your brain and gut health. This time kombucha is helping us humans out in a different walk of life, water Read More...
The robot that can independently perform keyhole surgery
Believe it or not, robots can now perform surgery with no human assistance! The Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR), was designed by a team from Johns Hopkins University. The laparoscopic procedure was carried out on the intestine of a pig, as reported this week in Science Robotics. "Our Read More...
Fish talk: study confirms that most fish use sound to communicate
While sound may not be the first thing to come to mind when we think of fish, it is actually a key element of communication for the vast majority of fish species. That is according to scientists at Cornell University, who have recently discovered that about two-thirds of all fish species in the Read More...
More lifelike avatars are on their way...
Like it or not, humans are spending more and more time interacting with each other using digital technology. This can lead to misunderstandings, miscommunication and other feelings of isolation as our daily lives are more enmeshed in keyboards, screens and simple audio. This is one reason Read More...
Scientists help frogs regrow amputated limbs
A recent study, published in Science Advances, has brought us one step closer to regenerative medicine. In a collaborative effort from Tufts University and Harvard, the teams were able to regenerate an adult African clawed frog’s (Xenopus laevis) limb, something they are naturally unable to Read More...
Sex in space? The push to find out if we can reproduce in outer space
Although human settlement on other planets was once just a pipe dream, rapid technological advancements are making it seem like a truly viable possibility for the future of humanity. However, before any human colony can settle in space, scientists need to figure out if and how people can reproduce Read More...
Here’s how offshore wind farms can help capture CO2 from the air
One of the conundrums posed by the increasing expansion of wind power is what to do with the excess energy that renewable technologies produce. Because wind power is intermittent and demand for energy also varies, when wind turbines produce more electricity than is needed, their operations are Read More...
DNA mutations are not so random after all
A first of its kind study has added some evidence to challenge the widely accepted theory about genetic mutations: that they are completely random. The findings, published in Nature, could reshape evolutionary theories and our understanding of DNA forever. "We always thought of mutation as Read More...