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!
The secret to happiness is regularly eating meals with others
A new study found that regularly eating meals in isolation is more strongly associated with unhappiness than any other factor apart from having a mental illness. This research is far from the first to suggest a link between eating with others and happiness. Researchers at the University of Oxford Read More...
Why mushrooms need to become a part of your diet
In the past, food scientists often praised mushrooms as healthy because what they don't contribute to the diet; they contain no cholesterol and gluten and are low in fat, sugars, sodium and calories. But that was selling mushrooms short. They are very healthy foods and could have medicinal Read More...
This device keeps birds from flying into wind turbines
Each year, wind turbines kill around 350,000 birds annually in the US. That’s why researchers have built an innovative device called the Acoustic Lighthouse that alerts birds in danger of crashing into a wind turbine. Birds, which have eyes on the sides of their heads, look down and to the side Read More...
Not your neurotypical consultant: demand for autistic tech experts surges
Autistic adults often experience difficulty in finding work, but IT consultancy and social enterprise Auticon reports a rise in demand for their skills. Launched in London last year, Auticon is a social enterprise that exclusively helps adults with autism find work in IT. It offers support from Read More...
Optimism Is More Than Positive Thinking
Psychologist Elaine Fox believes optimism isn’t a choice, but a habit. She has some advice on how to develop it—because it’s not just good for you, but for everyone else. By Marco Visscher From The Optimist Magazine Fall 2015 It’s the perfect day for a conversation about optimism. Read More...
How to transform your negative thoughts and become an optimist
Being an optimist can bring you an array of physical and mental health benefits (that's why you are a reader of The Optimist Daily). On the other hand, being chronically negative can foster feelings of depression and stress that are detrimental to your overall healthy. Fortunately, research shows Read More...
Vitamin D supplements may benefit children with Autism spectrum disorder
Vitamin D supplementation improved symptoms of autism in a recent trial. Studies have shown an association between the risk of autism spectrum disorder and vitamin D insufficiency. In this latest study, 109 children with autism spectrum disorder were randomized to receive four months of vitamin D3 Read More...
Mushrooms To The Rescue!
Eben Bayer grew up on a maple farm in Canada. To fire up the boiler they’d use woodchips, which is where Bayer first learned about mycelium or “nature’s glue”. Heaps of woodchips would – as you may imagine – start to grow mushrooms when left alone outside and when it was time to move Read More...
Drones deliver sterile insects to tackle disease in Ethiopia
In a region of Ethiopia where disease-ridden tsetse flies run rampant, drones are being administered to lower the fly population and ultimately save lives. The autonomous drones can fly for up to two hours at a cruise speed of 20 meters per second and have temperature controlled pods under each Read More...
Insects can contribute to food security
Insects are going to have a major contribution to food and feed security says Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan, senior fellow at Bengaluru based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE). Insects comprise at least 85% of biodiversity and play the most important roles in the Read More...