Impact-driven entrepreneurship is slashing plastic pollution in Indonesia
You may have heard that Indonesia has some of the world’s most beautiful and pristine beaches adorning its lush archipelago of islands. And while it’s true that there are few other places that can compete with these spectacular landscapes, over the recent years, an increasing number of Read More...
A hybrid hydrogen/electric aircraft just took flight in the UK
Humanity has taken another step towards zero-emissions aviation after the first-ever flight of a commercial-scale electric-powered aircraft in the UK took place this week. The plane was the startup ZeroAvia’s HyFlyer aircraft, which uses a hybrid hydrogen/electric powertrain to take off. With Read More...
New surgical tape serves as a “band-aid” for internal organs
Band-aids are a great quick fix for kitchen mishaps, skinned knees, and paper cuts, but what if there was a band-aid for internal injuries? Researchers at MIT have developed a band-aid that not only works on internal surfaces, like organs, but it also comes off pain-free. The team began by Read More...
Here’s how breathing exercises can boost your COVID-19 resilience
If you’ve ever followed a yoga or meditation breathing sequence, you were likely told to breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. This isn’t just to get you to focus on your breath more; it actually delivers more nitric oxide to your blood, which is beneficial for your Read More...
How to change people’s minds without triggering a negative response
People don’t like being told what to do. There’s even a word for it: reactance. “Psychological reactance is a negative emotional state that we feel when we’re not in control of our behavior,” says Jonah Berger, author of The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone's Mind. “Anytime we feel like Read More...
Endangered smoky mouse, feared wiped out during bushfires, found alive
Following Australia’s devastating bushfires six months ago, the critically-endangered smoky mouse has been feared extinct by conservationists as more than 90 percent of the rodent’s habitat had been scorched. To their relief though, recent images from motion-sensor cameras prove Read More...
Into the mainstream: Plant-based meat now on the menu at Starbucks
It took Impossible Foods hardly a year it seems to go from niche food product to mainstream menu item. This week, Impossible Foods has announced it will sell its plant-based breakfast sandwiches at most Starbucks locations in the US. Given that Starbucks has more than 15,000 US location and that Read More...
The boundless ways you can make a difference in your community
We all want to make a positive difference in our communities, but where to start? Fortunately, small changes can have a big impact on your block, your neighborhood, and even your city. Here are just a few great ideas to get you started. On your street, you can redesign a crosswalk to make Read More...
One year in, experimental sickle cell disease treatment looks promising
Victoria Gray is the first person in the US with a genetic disorder to get treated with the revolutionary gene-editing technique called CRISPR. Now, a year on from her experimental treatment for sickle cell disease, the results are looking promising, as NPR reports. The billions of genetically Read More...
June 24, 2020
The Optimist Daily Update with Summers McKay & Kristy Jansen - Your weekday commute update from The Optimist Daily featuring discussions of our top positive news solutions from independent, reader-funded, journalists. Today we tackle how facing the collapse of life as we know it gives us the Read More...