NASA has created a map that shows where ‘water ice’ is located on Mars
When there are so many problems that need to be taken care of on planet Earth, it can seem like a waste of resources to be searching for life beyond our planet. Regardless, the search continues, and we at the Optimist Daily feel a bit obliged to give the positive updates that come from this Read More...
This rare Brazilian bird has returned to the Amazon after 3 decade absence
For an environmentalist, few things are as satisfying as when carefully planned conservation works out as intended. In Brazil, a special bird called the Alagoas curassow is now back in the jungle after three decades of being preserved in a scientific-breeding facility in the state of Rio de Read More...
The Ocean Cleanup device has returned with its first load of plastic
After months of research, failures, and reconfigurations, and weeks spent at sea traveling to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and back, The Ocean Cleanup’s device—a 2,000 foot-long floating tube that skims the surface of the water to catch plastic trash—has returned to shore. And with it, Read More...
What Finland’s new parliament can teach America about gender equality
Finland’s new parliament looks radically different from most governments: it’s dominated by women under 35. The parliament is led by newly elected prime minister Sanna Marin, who, at 34 years old, is the youngest in the world. This may sound radical to Americans, but Finland elected its Read More...
OPTIMIST VIEW: An Emissary Conversation – Understanding what matters to our community
By The Optimist Daily Team “Ideas of every kind are constantly galloping toward us, constantly pass through us, constantly trying to get our attention.” - Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic In today’s Optimist Emissary conversation we covered the top four stories from the last month, Read More...
NYC just passed a new law to protect migrating birds from crashing into windows
Sitting on the Atlantic Flyway, New York City is a well-known hotspot for avian biodiversity. Each year during the spring and fall migration seasons, New Yorkers can spot over a hundred species passing through the city. But as the cityscape is dominated by high-rise buildings with transparent Read More...
The ocean is taking center stage at this year’s UN climate summit
On the opening day of this year’s United Nations climate summit or COP25, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a gut punch: “We are knowingly destroying the very support systems keeping us alive.” One of those vital systems is the world’s oceans, which generate at least 50% Read More...
Proposed bill would improve opioid addiction treatment funding and access
Litigation against major pharmaceutical companies has called attention to the crippling opioid crisis gripping the US, which begs the question: what can be done about it? Recently, Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the bipartisan Opioid Workforce Act in hopes that Read More...
Why you should teach your kids to cook this holiday season
Whether you find cooking to be a beautiful art or a messy ordeal, you have every reason to teach your kids how to cook if you’re a parent. With the holidays coming and kids getting time off from school, now is the perfect time to teach your little one(s) how to be a chef. It’s been said that Read More...
The earliest known cave art by modern humans has been found in Indonesia
It’s profound how one historical discovery can completely change our view of the past. Recently in Indonesia, archaeologists made a discovery that did just that. What the archaeologists discovered was cave art depicting human-animal hybrid figures hunting warty pigs and dwarf buffaloes. Read More...