Mayors from 12 major cities commit to divesting from fossil fuels
Investing in green initiatives could accelerate an economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, but if the federal government isn’t willing to divest from fossil fuels, then it’s up to local governments to do so. Recently, mayors of 12 major cities signed C40’s “Divesting from Fossil Read More...
Humpback whales in Alaska are enjoying the cruise ship-free waters
Alaska is usually overwhelmed with cruise ships and tourists in the summertime, but not this year. Tourism has come to a grinding halt due to the pandemic, and while it has been a disaster for the local economy, the state’s humpback whales seem to be enjoying the calm waters. Dr. Michelle Read More...
Time lapse: This supernova was 5 billion times brighter than the sun
For all you space geeks, we have something dazzling for you. The Hubble Space Telescope recorded footage of a supernova exploding in the sky over the course of a year, creating one of the brightest light shows ever seen. In fact, the exploding star burned at the radiance of 5 billion suns before Read More...
Tartu transformed its main street into a pedestrian paradise
From Oakland and Seattle to Bogota and York, cities around the world have been showcasing the community-building benefits that come with removing cars from the streets. In another display of car-free living, the Estonian city of Tartu transformed its main street into a pedestrian-friendly paradise Read More...
Scientists design hearing aid that uses just $1 worth of parts
200 million adults over the age of 65 suffer from age-related hearing loss around the world. In response, scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have designed a hearing aid device that uses only a dollar’s worth of open-source parts and a 3D-printed case to function. The Read More...
Adding floating solar to hydropower plants would create an energy boom
A new study suggests there is a way to make hydropower plants produce more energy: placing floating solar panels on the reservoirs of hydropower plants. According to a new analysis of the energy potential of combining these facilities with floating solar panels, scientists calculated that these Read More...
Yes! Fat Bear Week is back again
2019 marked the first time The Optimist Daily became familiar with the furry phenomenon that is Fat Bear Week. If you aren’t familiar with Fat Bear Week, let us enlighten you: it’s a whole week dedicated to the brown bears of Katmai National Park in Alaska, who have been eating nonstop before Read More...
California to produce its own generic drugs to take down big pharma
Whereas one vial of insulin costs about $30 in Canada, that same vial can go for as much as $450 in the US. This is just one example of the sky-high prices of prescription drugs in America, which have risen three times faster than inflation over the past decade. And while generic drugs can help Read More...
A step-by-step guide for repotting your houseplants
During the lockdown, you took the opportunity to spruce up your living space with a new houseplant. You tended to it, gave it care, and over time it’s grown quite big. But there comes a point when your plant becomes too big for its own pot, and if you leave it in there too long, it will suffer. Read More...
How to reach the flow state in our distracted world
What is the flow state? As described in the famous 1990 book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi says that the “best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something Read More...