This Swiss entrepreneur just donated $1 billion towards conservation efforts
Billionaires around the world sit atop mass amounts of money that could go a long way towards solving the world’s climate issues. Take Jeff Bezos, for example. If the head of Amazon donated just one percent of his total wealth towards climate solutions, which would amount to around $1.5 billion, Read More...
Researchers have found a way to restore voices lost to neurological conditions
People with neurological conditions who lose the ability to speak can still send the brain signals used for speech, but sadly, they cannot produce any words with their voices. UCSF researchers, however, might have found a way to bring their voices back. What they’ve created is a brain-machine Read More...
Work smarter, not harder: 4 ways to boost productivity without losing free time
We all have the same hours in the day, yet how we prioritize our time and energy will dictate our ability to execute tasks efficiently. Working smarter is the ability to be productive and efficient when working toward your goals, rather than looking and feeling busy and out of time. The following Read More...
A newly identified gene in wild tomatoes could lead to pest-resistant tomatoes
As crops become more and more resistant to pesticides, researchers are on the lookout for better alternatives that don’t require chemicals. At Michigan State University, researchers have identified an evolutionary function in wild tomato plants that modern plant breeders could use to create Read More...
Data systems have helped Google save over 6 millions pounds of food in its cafes
Google recognizes food waste is a problem, both environmentally and economically-speaking. That’s why for the past 5 years, the chefs that work in the kitchen at Google’s headquarters have been measuring the exact amount of food being wasted each day by placing all leftover ingredients in trays Read More...
Could used coffee grounds hold the key to replacing palm oil?
If you look at the list of ingredients on the labels of your household products, chances are most of them have palm oil included on the list. The problem with palm oil is that it leads to mass deforestation in Southeast Asia, devastating areas that once teemed with life. In search of a solution, a Read More...
How to be happy, even when life changes suddenly
When a professional athlete reaches the age where they no longer can compete at the highest level, retirement is inevitable. Sure, retiring will suddenly shake up their life a bit, but at least they can accept the change that will come with retiring because they have been able to compete for as Read More...
Shipwrecks in the Atlantic are providing critical habitats for sand tiger sharks
Off the shores of North Carolina is a coastal region known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” In this area, hundreds of shipwrecks are lying in tatters on the ocean floor. Lately, scientists have started to notice that female tiger sharks have developed an affinity to these shipwrecks off the Read More...
Ma Jun is not your everyday environmental activist
There all kinds of ways to do environmental activism. One way, as we pointed out in yesterday’s Optimist Daily, is to take to the streets and be civilly disobedient in the name of climate action. Another more subtle way is to be like Chinese environmentalist Ma Jun. At the age of 50, Ma has Read More...
Lego is making bricks that teach blind students how to read Braille
In one of the newest Lego sets under development, the bumps that hold the toys together have a second purpose: They also help children learn Braille. The series of dots on each brick represents a different letter of the Braille alphabet, the numbers zero through nine, and a handful of math symbols. Read More...