Say what?! A 3-year-old in Texas found a candy-pink grasshopper
Did you know grasshoppers can be bright pink? Neither did we—until this past weekend when an eye-catching story was published by an NBC affiliate in Texas. Apparently, a three-year-old discovered a bubble-gum pink grasshopper while exploring his garden in Austin, which prompted his mother to snap Read More...
This device might help stroke survivors regain their motor function
Those who survive a stroke can have their motor function severely impaired, drastically reducing quality of life for those survivors. The good news, however, is that scientists have created a device that might help stroke survivors regain their motor function after the fact. At the American Read More...
Science tell us naps can boost your health, performance, and well-being
In America, daytime snoozing is still often viewed as lazy — a guilt-inducing indulgence. But scientific research shows that even a short early afternoon snooze can lead to better health, performance, and overall well-being. Research has found that napping can reduce blood pressure and that Read More...
Microgrids are restoring power to rural Australians after the bushfires
For years, the Optimist Daily has been a vocal advocate of microgrids for their ability to provide a reliable, low-cost source of clean energy to local areas. On top of that, microgrids are optimal because they don’t rely on a national grid and can function separately even if a national grid Read More...
Wow: This patient played the violin as doctors performed brain surgery on her
Here’s something you probably haven’t seen before. This week, King’s College Hospital in London released a video of a woman playing the violin while doctors performed brain surgery on her. That woman is Dagmar Turner, a 53-year old woman who has had a slow-growing tumor since 2013. Knowing Read More...
Researchers celebrate sudden uptick in Antarctic blue whale sightings
South Georgia, a sub-Antarctic island, was at the epicenter for whale hunting in the early 20th century. The territory's boats with their steam-powered harpoons caused populations of the Antarctic blue whale to drop so badly that there had only been a few isolated sightings of the whale around the Read More...
5 ways to bring some ease to your anxious teenager
Teenagers are overwhelmed with emotions that they don't understand. Uncertainty and insecurity plague them. Add to their struggles a daily dose of social, sexual, and academic tension, and in a single day, teenagers may experience euphoria, crushing hurt, overwhelming anxiety, or deep despair. No Read More...
What cities can learn from Spokane’s approach to homelessness
The common approach cities take to deal with homelessness is tough enforcement: ticketing people for panhandling or sleeping in doorways or busing them to shelters, sometimes in other cities. But as Spokane has found it first-hand, this approach just doesn’t work. That’s why Washington’s Read More...
New York is bringing down the hammer on plastic bottles
Earlier this month, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio signed an executive order banning the sale of single-use plastic beverage bottles on city-owned and -leased properties — which means the bottles could vanish from an area nearly equivalent to a quarter of the city. The move also bars city Read More...
This Chicago artist is bringing music education back to public schools
When governments make budget cuts, all too often it is schools and their creative programs that pay the price. Such is the case in Chicago, where many elementary schools are without any music programs, which is a crying shame considering music education has been found to benefit a child’s memory, Read More...