The Optimist Living
Don’t worry about taking a long shower—just eat less meat
California’s water crisis dominates the news. So taking a long shower seems the worst thing to do, right? Wrong. Yes, it may be “drop wise” but it’s also “bucket foolish.” If you do the math, you’ll learn that eating less meat is the best thing you can do to save water. After all, Read More...
Traveling with Pico Iyer, how to relax on our next flight
Well-known travel writer Pico Iyer, who has contributed to The Intelligent Optimist, has some excellent tips to turn your next flight into a relaxing and refreshing experience. Don’t use Wi-Fi on board; no e-mail. Always have a book, pen and a notebook ready for emerging thoughts and ideas. And Read More...
Solar-powered, recycled, floating home
Rising sea-levels may lead to many more people living in floating homes. Italian architect Giancarlo Zema shows that doesn’t have to be a punishment with this stunning design. The 1,000 square foot Waternest 100 is made from recycled timber and a recycled aluminum hull. The solar paneled roof Read More...
Farming for dummies: Grow your lettuce in a recycled container
Are you worried about food supplies? Or do you want to save money by growing your own food? Now you can start a farm in your parking lot. Just rent a farm in a box, a CropBox. In this recycled shipping container you can grow as much lettuce as on an acre of land. You don’t need to spend Read More...
Turning complaints into solutions
As an intelligent optimist, you may not be the world’s worst complainer. However, we all complain—it’s natural. But whenever we make negative statements, our brains release stress hormones, harming neural connections in areas used for cognitive functions such as problem-solving. So learn how Read More...
95-year-old breaks world record 200 meters sprint
He started training for games only recently, but Charles Eugster from the UK has already set a few national records. And now, he broke the world record 200 meters sprint for indoor running. In his own category, that is, which is the over 95 group. His record-breaking 55.48 seconds may fade compared Read More...
A sense of purpose in life may protect your heart
If you have a strong feeling that your life serves a purpose, it may not only be easier for you to get out of bed in the morning, it may also be easier for you to live longer. A new study reveals that a high sense of purpose is associated with a 23 percent reduction in death from all causes, and a Read More...
Wildlife is returning in cities
Over a hundred years ago, famous naturalist William Henry Hudson thought it “exceedingly rare” that raptors would ever return to the city. Ever since, cities have gotten more densely populated. Yet, ecologists are starting to discover that the modern city has become a natural habitat for many Read More...
Supporting mindfulness with neuroscience and technology
Inspiring story in Fast Company of an entrepreneur who used the latest neuroscience to support people with their mindfulness practice. Ariel Garten’s InterAxon created a headband called Muse that in conjunction with an app—Calm—increases focus and reduces stress. Users report that their Read More...
Robots taking your job isn’t a bad thing
‘Robots are taking over’—a headline for the apocalypse, but if they’re only taking over the job sector, is it so bad? Robots are far more precise than humans, and if programmed correctly, are void of human error. Many companies are designing, or have already designed, robots that do tasks Read More...