July 24, 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 share a personal narrative to support creating inclusive housing and public Read More...
It turns out all that shed dog fur is great for cleaning up oil spills
If you have a dog or cat, all that fur you’re constantly sweeping up around the house could be more useful than you thought! Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney have found that fur and hair products are more effective than synthetics at cleaning up oil spills on land. The Read More...
Our public transit systems can help us fight racism. Here's how
In the US, the opportunities afforded to people can often rely on how connected their communities are transportation-wise. This is something Darnell Grisby knows well. Growing up as a Black man in Southern California during the 1980s and 1990s, Darnell Grisby saw how limited public transportation Read More...
This mom donated her lottery winnings to a wounded police officer
Shetara Sims is a single mom who was down to her last $7 when she found a dollar bill in a grocery store parking lot. The Kansas City native used it to buy a lottery ticket and ended up winning $100. But rather than keep it for herself, she listened to her daughter Rakiya’s advice and donated Read More...
Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine succeeds in triggering immune response
The path towards a coronavirus vaccine has been tumultuous, but a new trial from Oxford University is showing the most promise to date in developing an immune response to covid-19. The study of 1,077 people showed that the developed injection produced antibodies and T cells to fight the Read More...
Research shows turtles get lost for miles, but still find way home
When female sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs, they return to the very spot where they once hatched and scuttled towards the sea. Traveling thousands of miles before coming back to their roots demonstrates their complex navigational abilities. New research shows these turtles are even more Read More...
New device aims to bring potable water to millions of people worldwide
While substantial progress has been made in increasing access to clean drinking water, billions of people worldwide still lack this basic need. Seeking to alleviate the problem, a startup has embarked on a mission to supply millions of people globally with clean drinking water, with the help of an Read More...
Giving digital IDs to clothing could help the fashion industry cut waste
The circular economy strives to be waste-free, by actively engaging in reuse, repair, recycling, remanufacturing, and resale. But for the fashion industry, a waste-free standard is hard to live up to. Currently, the business model supports a one-way supply chain: manufacture, distribute, and Read More...
Don’t throw away that greasy pizza box! Recycle it
If you’ve long tossed your pizza boxes into the trash, figuring—along with many other Americans—that the grease and cheese leftover on the cardboard meant it couldn’t be recycled, Domino’s wants you to think again. It turns out that nearly three-quarters of US residents have a recycling Read More...
Why rest and recovery is essential during difficult times
Between the coronavirus pandemic, a mass economic downturn, and a global protest movement fueled by systematic bias and racism, it’s an understatement to say we’re “going through a lot.” And if we’re being honest, there’s still a long road ahead as this health, social, and economic Read More...