Optimist View: "Pain pushes until ...Vision pulls" a conversation with Rev. D.
June has been a powerful month. Pride Month honors the fight for inclusion and celebration for the LGBTQ+ community. Juneteenth finally became a national holiday the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans. And, the Optimist Daily completes a week focused on ancient wisdom featured at the World Read More...
This unusual greenhouse in France is growing insects instead of vegetables
Though it may look like a normal hothouse that grows vegetables, the Savéol experimental greenhouse in Brittany boasts a very different kind of crop — insects. The goal? To breed plant-friendly invertebrates that can enable farmers to produce pesticide-free tomatoes. From bumblebees to wasps Read More...
This sci-fi-inspired portal lets you interact with people in another city
Isolation from friends and family is a familiar state for many people after over a year of social distancing and travel restrictions. Even as everything begins to slowly open up again, the serendipity of encountering new people is still muted as we focus on reconnecting with people that we already Read More...
Study: Nonparent adults are as happy as their child rearing counterparts
Birth rates are falling in many parts of the world, especially in the US, and although the reasons for this are wide-ranging, many who choose to not have children or are biologically unable to still face questioning and confusion from friends and relatives who see childbearing as a necessary Read More...
Placing turbines behind hills may help improve wind power efficiency
Finding ways to increase the efficiency of windmills has been on scientists’ innovation agenda for some time. While some innovators are working on radically different designs to achieve that goal, a recent study yields a rather unexpected finding — placing wind turbines behind hills could Read More...
AI system is spotting California wildfires as soon as they start
With a historic drought deepening across the Western United States, many residents, officials, and first responders are nervously awaiting an inevitable severe wildfire season. When it comes to wildfire, quick detection is key and even a few minutes can make the difference between homes saved and Read More...
GM increases EV investment by 75%
More and more car brands are shifting production to focus on electric vehicle technology. This move is critical for increasing available EV options, making them more affordable, and increasing public confidence in these vehicle types. Most recently, General Motors (GM) announced a 75 percent Read More...
Six ways to celebrate Juneteenth this year
Juneteenth now an official federal holiday in the US, but what exactly does the holiday signify and how should we be celebrating it in our communities? Juneteenth specifically celebrates June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger announced the end of slavery in Galveston, Texas as a response Read More...
Canada finally allows Indigenous peoples to officially reclaim their names
Canada is coming to grips with the horrific discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at former residential schools that contain the remains of children—some as young as three years old. The exposure of these mass graves puts a spotlight on the country’s terrible colonial past and has Read More...
Researchers identify lightning as huge source of air-purifying chemicals
Lightning is an incredible display of the power of nature, but a new study shows this natural phenomenon has more benefits for our world than previously thought. Researchers from Penn State University analyzed atmospheric measurements from a NASA jet and found that lightning appears to be an Read More...