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Total number of posts: 22997
Revealing the history of the earliest transoceanic seafarers
A study carried out by geneticists at Harvard University, in collaboration with Indigenous communities, has revealed five previously undocumented migrations around remote Pacific islands. These people were the world’s earliest transoceanic seafarers, being able to navigate long journeys across Read More...
Introducing "True American"— a mini-series
Last month on Independence Day, The New Yorker published an issue featuring cover art by graphic illustrator Christ Ware. The narrative piece, called “House Divided,” boldly captures the sense of polarization underlying this past year’s Fourth of July festivities, and the general atmosphere Read More...
Solutions Thinking and Climate Change
Open Minds and Optimism: Keys to Solving the Climate Crisis In February 2022, the world’s leading climate scientists released the most urgent warning on climate change to date. The report, released by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), describes the implications of our Read More...
These 6 lighting tips will boost your mood and your health
At a time when sustainable and healthy living is at the forefront of many of our minds, the issue of lighting becomes a contested one. While LED (light-emitting diode) and CFL (compact fluorescent light) lights have gained popularity for their energy efficiency, these kinds of lights tend to leave Read More...
Study: This is how many human lives can be saved with climate action
With the climate crises we’re already experiencing, it’s no secret that we need climate action immediately to prevent the loss of life due to climate disasters. Now, thanks to a recent study, we have a good idea of how many lives will be saved if we cease emitting carbon into our atmosphere at Read More...
Biden administration launches heat.gov to help us deal with extreme heat
It’s no secret that this summer season has been a scorcher, what with the increasing heatwaves in the US and raging wildfires across Europe. The rising temperatures have been and will continue to cause thousands of deaths from hyperthermia, drought, and crop failures. Extreme heat is an Read More...
Love bees but need to relocate a hive? Here’s how to do it sustainably
If you are a longtime reader of The Optimist Daily, you’ll know that our team loves bees (and other pollinators). We've published many stories on why bees are critical to our world’s ecosystem and to our species' survival, as well as articles that highlight amazing people and initiatives that Read More...
5 Ways to bring people together with food
In almost every corner of the world, coming together and sharing a meal is one of the most communal and binding traditions. As we have already reported, food is a wonderful way to bring people together; to forge friendships, exercise your creativity, and even save money while having an enjoyable Read More...
What vampire bats teach us about friendship
There are still biological and behavioral mysteries to social bonding that experts are trying to figure out. With so many factors at play it can be hard to put a fine point on why we do some things and not others to get close to one another. Sometimes, it pays to look at other examples of mammalian Read More...
Our greatest love of all could be friendship
We live in a world that gives top priority to finding a partner and being in a monogamous marriage. It's the "happily ever after" to our fairy tales, for better or worse. However, this narrative overlooks the rich relationships that round out a fulfilling life that have nothing to do with Read More...