The Optimist View: The back-to-school edition
"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall." - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby Tomorrow is Labor Day, which means it’s time to say goodbye to summer camp-outs and long beach days and head back to school and work for the fall. The days are getting shorter and the weather a Read More...
Children’s mental health will benefit from $85 million in funding
While the pandemic has taken a toll on everyone’s wellbeing, many children, in particular, have suffered from the effects of isolation and stress induced by Covid-19. In fact, since the start of the pandemic, emergency departments across the US have witnessed a proportional rise in children Read More...
These smart bandages glow when infection develops
Scientists in Australia have developed a bandage that glows if the wound under wraps has become infected. This means that wounds that do not develop infections will heal faster, as removing bandages to check for infections delays healing. The bandage, which is currently being developed at RMIT Read More...
BNLP connects animal agriculture workers with more sustainable jobs
Plant-based diets are becoming more popular for a number of factors—there are plenty of health benefits to going veggie or vegan, plus the planet would benefit from less demand for meat and animal byproducts as this industry is one of the biggest contributors to CO2 emissions. However, the Read More...
5 Free climate change exhibits to visit virtually
Climate change—it’s a problem that is so weaved into all the facets of our lives that it can be overwhelming to try to understand it on our own. Luckily, more museums are making their climate exhibitions available for free online so that we can learn more about it from the comfort of our own Read More...
How movement can make students better learners
You probably remember being told to “sit still” in class as a child, but human development professor Katie Headrick Taylor explains in The Conversation that perhaps we should encourage children to incorporate movement into learning. Here’s why. Learning and the body Research indicates Read More...
How to keep harmful snakes from slithering into your yard
Snakes—whether you’re fascinated or afraid of them, the fact of the matter is that at some point, a few of them will probably find their way into your yard. There are plenty of different kinds of snakes. Some are harmless and actually help out their hosts by providing free pest control, Read More...
Versatility of elephant trunks is inspiring the next generation of robotics
Elephant trunks are truly remarkable. They can grasp a single blade of grass and also carry nearly 600 pounds. This versatility is what prompted robotics researchers to take a deeper look at how elephant trunks work and how their natural design could be mimicked to create the next generation of Read More...
This web app makes it easier for people to learn sign language
Two to three of every 1,000 children are born deaf or hard of hearing in the US. Though 90 percent of these kids are born to hearing parents, 72 percent of families do not sign with their deaf children. After learning about those statistics, creative studio Hello Monday decided to create a Read More...