Teaching & Learning
Education propels change. Stay up to date on the latest educational developments near you and around the world from preschool to post-grad. Here, you'll find out why equitable quality education is essential for fostering healthy and resilient societies.
Should schools take on the four-day workweek too?
If you follow The Optimist Daily, you’ll notice that there’s been growing interest in the benefits of shortening our workweeks from the conventional five days to four—so why shouldn’t school children adopt it, too? The Forest Gate community school in Newham, London already has three Read More...
Want to slow climate change? Consider making your home all electric
Despite the alarming reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, experts still think that if we pull together and act quickly to use energy more efficiently, slow deforestation, and make a rapid shift to renewables, we can still cut global greenhouse gas emissions in half by Read More...
A new study reveals how engaging activities reduce loneliness
Loneliness can be a major problem for good mental health and brain health in the long term. Many of us, though, still live alone, and the pandemic and post-pandemic culture have led to sometimes unavoidable periods of loneliness. This doesn’t need to be unhealthy, though. A new study from Read More...
How to talk to your kids about the war in Ukraine
Approaching conversations about difficult topics with your kids is a challenge every parent has to face, whether that’s climate change or war, it can be a daunting and awkward task. Nowadays, the internet has given children access to some not-so-savory content, including circulating images of the Read More...
Want more nesting birds in your garden during spring? Follow these 5 tips
The warmth of spring and summer, also brings along with it the company of local and migrating birds. To simultaneously maximize your chances of viewing these beautiful creatures while supporting them and your garden’s ecosystem during this period, here's five gardening tips to follow. Ensure Read More...
What this zebrafish gene reveals about autism in humans
The human brain is enormously complex, no one can deny that, but some parts of our brains are similar to those of some simpler animals. Think of it this way: a motorcycle may not have a car’s rear differential, air conditioning, or safety features, but they do both have an engine. Some of the Read More...
All-women news source launches in Somalia to cover inequality
Journalism used to be called the Fourth Estate, referring to its political and societal influence within a country. It has the power to expose injustices and sound a call to action from the people. Finding solutions to endemic problems often starts by identifying them in the media. For a fair Read More...
UK building huge software mind for world’s largest radio telescope
Every day, we come closer to answering the essential questions that arise from looking up at the sky. How did we come to be? What’s holding all of this together? Are we alone? Astrophysicists and astronomers need data in great volume and detail to find the answers to these questions, and a new Read More...
This MIT team designed a desert shelter for humans and animals
We have often written about animal agencies at The Optimist Daily and sharing our space on the planet with our furry or winged neighbors. It’s important to recognize the rights of nature and cohabitate with animals as peacefully as possible, but a design team from MIT just took it to the next Read More...
Love and Action: Happy Earth Day!
“There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.” — Marshall McLuhan, philosopher As far as we know, Earth is the best place in the Universe. The search for life beyond our planet and even our solar system is ongoing, and one day we could very well make the Read More...