Special class of enzymes could lead to more eco-friendly plastic
Plastic isn’t only harmful to the environment after it’s discarded, but also during its initial production, because it relies on the extraction of fossil fuels. Looking to find a more environment-friendly way to produce this ubiquitous material, scientists have recently made a breakthrough, Read More...
Scientists develop reusable adhesive material inspired by the feet of flies
From gecko skin to bee slobber, the natural world has been a great source of inspiration for scientists working on advanced adhesive materials. More recently, scientists in Japan have drawn inspiration from the clingy footpads of fruit flies to develop a material that can be attached and detached Read More...
Kite-like device harnesses the wind to generate renewable energy
When you think about wind power, chances are the first thing that comes to mind are the giant wind turbines that are among the key harbingers of the green energy transition. It turns out, however, that there are also other ingenious ways we can harness wind power. A German startup, for instance, Read More...
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...
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...
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...
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...