The Weekly Theme
Each week, we feature a new theme of solutions for those passionate about learning in-depth on how we are building a better world!
This startup wants to enhance our food with plant-based ‘supernutrients’
Inside the San Francisco lab of a biotech startup called Brightseed, computers are analyzing thousands of compounds in tiny samples of plants and searching for new samples of what it calls “supernutrients”—natural compounds that can later be harvested and added to food to help improve Read More...
Here's what the future landscape of protein production could look like
What could the future landscape of food look like? This question has seen numerous approaches in the recent year with the main concern being planet preservation. Some preach a change in our food culture shifting towards less meat consumption, while others have tried to replicate meat from Read More...
Scientists are engineering bacteria to save bees
Researchers at the University of Texas have reported in the reputable scientific journal Science that they may have developed a new method to save bees from colony collapse. The new method is unique in the sense that it requires genetically engineered bacteria to work for us. Once inserted in Read More...
This urban farm has revived an impoverished community in Dallas
Dallas may be one of the wealthiest cities in the world, but its wealth is unevenly distributed amongst its neighborhoods. In the Bonton community in South Dallas, 48 percent of residents suffer daily from the effects of urban poverty. Rates of incarceration and joblessness are highly Read More...
Want to help bees? Consider adding these plants to your garden
Bees are critical members of our food chain. These buzzing backyard insects pollinate three-quarters of all fruits, nuts, and vegetables, but they are on the decline. Fortunately, of the 20,000 known bee species in the world, 4,000 are native to the US and there are many flowers you can plant in Read More...
Optimist View - Movie Review: Honeyland
How an Oscar-nominated documentary illustrates the power of resilience BY AMELIA BUCKLEY Wild honey smells of freedom. The dust - of sunlight. The mouth of a young girl, like a violet. But gold - smells of nothing. -Anna Akhmatova Our first introduction to Hatidze Muratova is watching her Read More...
The Power of Positive Thinking
by The Optimist Daily Team A writer at The Optimist Daily recently shared with our Editorial Team about a family celebration for her one year old son. It had been a perfect day. Friends had flown in from all around the country, aunts, uncles, great aunts and uncles, and grandparents all gathered Read More...
Will crickets be a main feature on menus in 2050?
By 2050 there will be an estimated 10 billion humans living on this planet. Beyond that being a lot of mouths to feed, those folks will be, on average, wealthier than today's population, with a taste for the foods found in regions like the US and Western Europe. But we simply don't have the Read More...
Research tells us a positive outlook may be good for your heart
Having a positive mindset doesn’t only benefit your mental health. According to a recent meta-analysis of previous research, having an optimistic mind-set may also reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease and early death. This new meta-analysis, published in JAMA Network Open, included 15 Read More...
How Forrest Gump is helping scientists understand human emotion
This week we are celebrating the Power of Positivity. No movie emphasizes the importance of positivity quite like Forrest Gump, so much so that scientists are even using his character to map out our brain emotions. Researchers produced a map of affective emotions called “emotionotopy” after Read More...