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...
New study finds CBD slows growth of brain cancer cells in petri dish
Cannabidiol (CBD) has earned a reputation as something of a cure-all, supposedly capable of treating everything from anxiety to acne. While many of those claims are anecdotal — or made by companies hoping to sell consumers on CBD-infused everything — a recently published study suggests Read More...
Irish repay favor to Native American tribe severely hit by COVID-19
In 1847, a Native American tribe provided relief aid to Irish people that have been severely hit by a period of mass starvation known as the Great Famine. Now, 173 years on, the favor is being returned to Native American tribes hit by the coronavirus. The Navajo Nation, which straddles parts of Read More...
COVID-19 pushes 300,000 to quit smoking across UK
We’re all being a bit more conscious about our lung health during the COVID-19 outbreak. One positive outcome from the pandemic is that it offered the necessary push for 300,000 people in the UK to give up smoking. A joint study between YouGov and the campaign group Action on Smoking and Read More...
This court case shows people can force governments to achieve climate goals
While it might seem like a strange time for a government to start making new climate commitments, the Netherlands had little choice. A court case brought by environmental groups in 2014 and upheld by the supreme court last year has forced the government to act to reduce emissions to 25% below Read More...
Forested hills may soon replace seawalls in coastal communities
Seawalls have become a popular man-made defense against high tides and tsunamis, but a new study shows that carefully designed forested hills could provide similar protection while also protecting environmental health and beautifying our coastal cities. The design involves a hill covered in Read More...
Coronavirus has brought “local” back into the spotlight
You might imagine the post-pandemic world as being one where humanity is left picking up the shattered pieces just to glue them back to the state they were before, but that won’t necessarily be the case. While the crisis has turned many aspects of our society upside down, it has also greased some Read More...
How one school in California is mastering online learning
Last week, The Optimist Daily took an in-depth look at how our education systems will be transformed post-coronavirus. Today, we are checking out The Anacapa School, a school in Southern California that is achieving high success rates with their approach to online learning. At a time where Read More...
Belgium welcomes new wolves as it becomes the “wolf crossroads of Europe”
Belgium is becoming “the wolf crossroads of Europe”, a conservation charity has said as it reported new sightings from France and Germany, while Flemish authorities separately announced the imminent arrival of wolf puppies. Over the weekend the charity Welkom Wolf announced that four wolves Read More...
7 ways to keep your nervous system relaxed in times of stress
From 1982 to 1992, psychologist Janice Kiecolt-Glaser and immunologist Ronald Glaser studied the role of stress on medical students. They discovered that students’ immunity was compromised during testing and examination times. They had fewer natural killer cells that are responsible for fighting Read More...