September 1, 2020
The Optimist Daily Update with Summers McKay & Kristy Jansen - Your weekday update from The Optimist Daily featuring discussions of our top positive news solutions from independent, reader-funded, journalists. Today we talk all things fishy and Kristy shares how she's been spending her quarantine Read More...
6 ways to take back your motivation
Uncertainty about the future, being distant from friends, challenges with mental and physical health, and constantly staying in the same environment have all been aspects of life during Covid-19 that have affected people's ability to focus on daily responsibilities, let alone tackle them with any Read More...
Years later, many refugees are feeling at home in Germany
When Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed a great influx of refugees in 2015 rather than denying them at the border, she received overwhelming criticism for opening the country’s borders to migrants. Germany was suddenly the country with the second-highest population of refugees in the Read More...
New lidar technology offers a glimpse into the unexplored depths of our oceans
The oceans make up more than half of our world, yet vast areas of them remain completely unexplored. The sheer depth of many parts of the ocean has kept their composition and species a secret from scientists, but a new method of ocean exploration may soon open these areas up to human Read More...
Finnish town gives locals free cake if they cut their carbon footprint
A town in Finland has found a rather tasty incentive to encourage its inhabitants to cut down their carbon emissions: free cake. Lahti, situated 100 kilometers north of Helsinki, has developed an app that tracks residents' CO2 usages based on traveling by car, public transport, bike or walk. The Read More...
Not a gram of salmon goes to waste with this new process
With their fresh taste and numerous health benefits, it’s not all too hard to understand why salmon is such a sought-after fish. But unfortunately, overfishing and polluted waterways have diminished populations globally. On top of that, we also waste a whole lot of the salmon we do end up Read More...
The Optimist View: Impact investing ─ Good for the world, good for your wallet
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." - Benjamin Franklin BY: AMELIA BUCKLEY Many of us want to live more sustainable, ethical lives, but what about putting our money where our mouths are? Literally. Traditional investment portfolios have relied heavily on fossil fuels and large Read More...
A giant virtual power plant is coming to California to avoid blackouts
As energy blackouts become more common in California, a German energy company called Sonnen believes virtual power plants (VPPs) can solve the issue. Rather than rely on utility companies, virtual power plants involve connected sets of solar panels and batteries that produce and store energy Read More...
Long-awaited Giantess Geyser finally erupts
Yellowstone visitors waiting to witness the Giantess Geyser have had to be extra patient over the past six years as the geyser, which normally erupts two or six times per year, lay dormant for six whole trips around the sun. Geothermal enthusiasts were finally rewarded with the long-awaited Read More...
Craving a bedtime snack? These 9 foods promote deeper sleep
Warm milk is a class pre-bedtime sleep aid, but it turns out there are lots of sleep-inducing foods to choose from for a late-night snack. Here are nine foods and drinks to enjoy before bed for a restful slumber. 1. Almonds These nuts are not only high in riboflavin, phosphorus, and reduce the Read More...