Natural antifreeze compounds produced by fish inspire road salt alternative
Salt is a primary tool used by cities to keep roads safe during snowy weather, but while the salt helps melt snow and improve traction, it also has detrimental effects on the environment and infrastructure. Road salt is often a combination of regular salt and additives like magnesium chloride and Read More...
How an internal culture change at Netflix is helping it fight inequality
This past year has renewed and strengthened the fight against the longstanding issues of systemic racism and inequality, motivating companies to make noticeable strides toward inclusion. Studies show that businesses grow significantly and that innovation thrives with the inclusion of more Read More...
Two-drug therapy for bone cancer could replace chemotherapy
Methotrexate is a commonly used chemotherapy drug employed to treat osteosarcoma, a bone cancer. Unfortunately, one side effect of traditional chemotherapy is the potential to harm perfectly healthy cells in the process of destroying cancerous ones. Researchers from Washington University in St. Read More...
Startup launches first-ever commercial rocket using biofuel
Beyond being a thrill to watch, rocket launches are essential for blasting spacecraft and satellites into orbit. That said, there is a big environmental cost that comes with rocket launches as it requires an incredible amount of fuel to start the ascent. Space X’s Falcon Heavy, for instance, Read More...
This free online course aims to teach you how to solve social challenges
Needless to say, the world is in no short supply of big, societal problems. But there are also plenty of people prepared to tackle these challenges — and a new, free online course provides just the right tools to help them start making a difference. Dubbed Solving Public Problems, the 12-week Read More...
Solar companies and farmers are working together to harvest sunlight and food
For generations, we have been powering our lives with greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuels, damaging the environment and negatively impacting our atmosphere. Today, the effects of fossil fuels are tangible as we face climate change. Human innovation is making renewable sources of energy more Read More...
Anthill Creations builds playgrounds in India's slums out of local waste
Play is a crucial aspect of a child’s education and development. Unfortunately, in India, far too many children live in slums or in crowded urban spaces that are not child-friendly, let alone safe for children to play in. Since 2015, architecture student Pooja Rai has been working to change Read More...
VW opens EV battery recycling plant in preparation for an electric future
As the electric revolution is making headway unabated, manufacturers are thinking about what to do with their electric vehicle batteries when the devices reach the end of the road. This is an important consideration given that lithium-ion batteries require a lot of materials, many of which are rare Read More...
February 2, 2021
Today we're talking about how the city of Austin is redirecting police funds towards housing the homeless, a few tips for reading more this year, and how an international cyber security team took down the world's most dangerous malware. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Read More...
February 2, 2021
Today we're talking about how the city of Austin is redirecting police funds towards housing the homeless, a few tips for reading more this year, and how an international cyber security team took down the world's most dangerous malware. Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Read More...