This smart glove translates sign language directly into speech
It is estimated that between 100,000 and 1 million people use American Sign Language in the United States. And like deaf communities around the world, when they communicate with non-signers, they typically need someone else to translate for them or turn to text-to-speech software for that. But Read More...
New bionic eye could restore sight and even offer night vision
As we’ve talked about on The Optimist Daily, prosthesis technology has come a long way in recent years, but the human eye has always been difficult to replicate. Now, scientists have designed a prototype for the first 3D artificial bionic eye, which could let users see better than with the real Read More...
Optimist View: A Summer of Inspiration
The Optimist Daily has experienced record growth this summer and we are incredibly grateful for everyone who has read, shared, and been inspired by our solution-based, reader-funded journalism. We wanted to take a moment to celebrate and re-share some of our most powerful stories from the summer so Read More...
Producing clean energy from rain could soon be possible
After many attempts, scientists may have finally figured out how to generate electricity using rain. What they have created is a generator that uses what is called a field-effect transistor-style structure that produces a surprisingly high voltage from water drops—a single drop can create Read More...
Video game giants Xbox and PlayStation are going green
In the world of video gaming, companies like Sony and Microsoft have the ability to engage and captivate millions of people around the world with their consoles. Now, the two companies may inspire their players to be more climate-conscious as they have recently pledged to make their future video Read More...
A Short Guide for Those Over 40 to Help You Understand “Digital Money”
Digital money will change more than just our economy-- it will change the way we use the internet. That means we should probably understand what is going on with all of this “crypto” stuff. Matt Hougan explains, “Those of us who are over 40 can remember a time when the internet stunk: When Read More...
This smartphone app will help you save money and reduce food waste
Globally, a staggering one-third of all food produced goes to waste. This translates to 1.6 billion tons ending up in landfills annually. In a world where more than 800 million people are malnourished, this mind-boggling amount of lost food highlights the urgency of solving the pressing global Read More...
This heart condition often goes unnoticed. Now AI can spot it prematurely
Artificial intelligence is proving itself invaluable in the medical world. Last week we wrote about a new form of AI that can be used to discover Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) 48 hours before it occurs, which can potentially save thousands of lives each year. This time around, researchers are finding Read More...
Researchers have developed the first visual model of the ‘wood wide web’
The first global map of the complex web of roots, bacteria and fungi beneath the ground known as the “wood wide web” has been built by researchers amid fears it is under threat by climate change. Using data from 1.2 million forest tree plots in more than 70 countries, scientists from Read More...
Engineers develop squishy robots designed to aid rescue in disaster areas
From mowing lawns and cleaning windows to lending a hand to astronauts aboard the International Space Station, robots are being designed to do an ever-expanding set of tasks. Now, Squishy Robotics, a Berkeley-based startup, has come up with squishy shape-shifting, sensory robots, with potential Read More...