Mysterious plant finally named 50 years after discovery
New plants are given scientific names based on which family they fit into, or which plants they share physical characteristics in. Generally Latin-based, these plant names are used internationally to identify flora, but sometimes this naming process isn’t so simple. A new plant with bright orange Read More...
3 Strategies for building a more equitable home from sociologists
Among different-sex parents who work full time, mothers log an average of five more hours of paid and unpaid labor than fathers, which is obviously a great obstacle in our efforts to achieve marriage equality. Despite the gender equity progress we’ve made, the idea that women are “better” Read More...
Here's how to overcome social anxiety and get that conversation going
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM So, you’ve been invited to a social gathering with strangers for the first time in a long time. You want to attend but feel that knot of anxiety in the back of your throat. One way to ease this feeling is to prepare in advance by thinking about potential Read More...
Largest library system in US eradicates late fees for good
The New York Public Library system has joined the Boston Public Library System, Philadelphia Public Library System, and the Burbank Public Library System in nixing late fees, effective immediately. This includes erasing all the fines that library cardholders have accrued in the past for overdue or Read More...
Indigenous Peoples’ Day: How you can honor and celebrate the holiday
To recognize the generations of genocide and oppression which followed Columbus’ arrival in the Americas, more and more cities and states are choosing to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Now, why should we celebrate this day? Well, because it recognizes the injustices Read More...
UN votes to make a clean and healthy environment a human right
The U.N. Human Rights Council has finally recognized access to a clean and healthy environment as a fundamental human right, adding it to others─like food, shelter, and freedom from slavery─laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The resolution was first discussed in the Read More...
Indian health insurance to expand coverage options for transgender people
Ayushman Bharat, India’s flagship health insurance scheme for the least privileged communities in the nation, has announced that the government’s new scheme, Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE), will provide medical coverage for transgender individuals Read More...
Ireland agrees to join international agreement on minimum corporate tax rate
We recently shared how 130 countries signed on to a global minimum tax rate proposed by G7 finance ministers. This agreement, establishing a 15 percent minimum corporate tax rate, aims to dismantle tax shelters and reduce tax evasion by increasing accountability, but it will only reach its full Read More...
5 Homemade fertilizers for healthier houseplants
Fertilizing your houseplants is essential to help them reach their full growth potential, but did you know that you can make nutritious plant fertilizers with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen? Plants rely on three main macronutrients to thrive: nitrogen, phosphorus, and Read More...
3 ways content creators can make social media more constructive
According to a recently released Wall Street Journal report, 32 percent of teen girls report that Instagram makes them feel worse when they feel bad about their bodies. Although social media can have detrimental effects on everyone’s self-image, this phenomenon is particularly damaging for young Read More...