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Rare heath butterfly reintroduced back into the wild after 150 years
Here at the Optimist Daily, we love inspiring conservation stories involving species that return back to the places they once belonged to. Today, we have the heath butterfly as the protagonist of the latest of such comeback stories. The heath butterfly — known as the “Manchester argus” — Read More...
MIT scientists develop algorithm to better locate missing people at sea
The ocean is a wild and turbulent space, where winds and weather kick up waves in all directions. These ever-changing conditions of both the waters and the weather make locating lost people and objects an incredibly difficult undertaking for first responders. But this may soon change, thanks to Read More...
The enormous biofuel potential of Mexican prickly pear cacti
Nopal, also known as prickly pear cacti, are so common on the Mexican landscape that they are even featured on the country’s flag. The plants are used in salads, shakes, and even some tortilla recipes. Now, one innovative company is finding yet another purpose for the plant as a source of Read More...
Marine biologists capture rare audio of narwhal buzzes, clicks, and whistles
Narwhals, the so-called unicorns of the sea, may be among the most recognizable marine animals, but they are also notoriously difficult to study due to their skittish nature and uncongenial habits. These characteristics, plus the fact that they live in one of the noisiest environments in the ocean, Read More...
Indigenous people in Brazil win historic lawsuit after 24 years in court
During the 1980s, the Ashaninka tribe of Brazil had seen large swaths of its land being devastated by deforestation at the hands of lumber companies seeking to exploit the indigenous reserve for resources such as mahogany and cedar wood. Seeking justice, the tribe managed in 1996 to take the Read More...
Americans are finally starting to embrace the bidet
Bidet sales are up in America! Editorial confession: We’ve been hoping to write something like that for a long time. If you don’t know what a bidet is, it’s typically a small bathtub-like fixture situated next to the toilet, with taps on one end. Its tub is filled with water, and the user Read More...
Researchers use drones to study active volcanoes up close
Active volcanoes are typically something to steer clear of, but for volcanologists, it’s their job to study these dangerous phenomena. Fortunately, they are now able to get up close and personal with active volcanoes without risking their own safety with the help of drones. Led by PhD Read More...
Economists propose an “orbit tax” to solve the problem of space junk
Although it can seem like an endless void from Earth, the truth is that our near-space area is getting quite crowded, with more than half a million objects now orbiting the planet at speeds high enough to destroy satellites and do serious damage to the International Space Station. This space Read More...
Increased bike sales in the UK show cycling is here to stay
More and more people are taking advantage of walking and biking to get out of the house and safely enjoy some fresh air and for many people, biking is here to stay. Bike shops across the UK can’t stock up as fast as they’re selling out and demand for repairs has skyrocketed. Bike shops Read More...
Costa Rica just held the first legal same-sex marriage in Central America
In August of 2018, the Supreme Court of Costa Rica ruled that the country’s gay marriage ban was unconstitutional. Now, two years later, Costa Rica has witnessed its first same-sex marriage after the country’s ban on such unions was lifted. That makes Costa Rica the first Central American Read More...