This company is bringing sustainable menstrual products to developing areas
Menstrual cups are a great option for women who worry about the damaging ecological and personal health implications of paper or plastic menstrual products, but for women who lack access to any menstrual products at all, these cups are an easy, reliable, and reusable resource for personal Read More...
Community fridges are popping up in New York to solve local food insecurity
In early February, Thadeaus Umpster found a free refrigerator on Craigslist. He intended to use the glass-door fridge, the kind you might find in a supermarket, to store donations for the weekly food share he helps run in Herbert Von King Park in Brooklyn. Just one problem: When he brought it Read More...
AI gives this prosthetic leg the ability to adjust to different terrains
While it can be relatively easy for a person with lower limb amputation to walk on flat ground using a basic prosthetic leg, walking up stairs or across uneven terrain with a prosthetic can be incredibly challenging. That’s why scientists are turning to robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) Read More...
MIT just elected its first-ever black woman as student body president
As is the case with many of the issues that The Optimist Daily covers, solving issues like racial or gender inequality is not something that happens overnight. Progress comes in the form of small steps from around the world, which form a big impact altogether. One hugely positive development Read More...
The Optimist View: An interview with community peace advocate Aqeela Sherrills
By Kristy Jansen Aqeela Sherrills grew up in Watts, California in the Jordan Downs Housing Projects. In his own words, he is a spirit-centered activist, organizer, advocate. In 1992, he was instrumental in organizing the peace treaty between the Crips and Bloods which launched his career in Read More...
Irish beekeeper constructs colorful LEGO hive in his backyard
From cleaning out the basement to taking up bread making, people around the world have taken up new hobbies to fill their quarantined time. One creative bee-lover in Ireland decided to use the time to create an elaborate home for bees out of LEGO blocks. Ruari O Leocháin, a school teacher and Read More...
What you can do to cope better with anger and heartbreak
At The Optimist Daily, we too can admit it’s been a tough, emotional time in America. As we collectively grieve and speak out against the racism and injustice around us, it's important to also make sure we're listening to our own bodies and pausing to take care of ourselves. If you're feeling Read More...
Rare heath butterfly reintroduced back into the wild after 150 years
Here at the Optimist Daily, we love inspiring conservation stories involving species that return back to the places they once belonged to. Today, we have the heath butterfly as the protagonist of the latest of such comeback stories. The heath butterfly — known as the “Manchester argus” — Read More...
This reusable sponge can help clean up oil spills over and over again
Most of the materials used for cleaning up oil spills are used only once, after which they are bound to end up in landfills. Now, however, scientists have created an oil-absorbing sponge that can be used over and over again. Developed by a team led by Illinois-based Northwestern University, the Read More...