Arts & Culture
Here we cover the latest and most uplifting exhibitions, creative movements, and imaginative design to keep you inspired throughout your day.
Novel DNA extraction method confirms identity of Sitting Bull’s great-grandson
Researchers from the Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre at the University of Cambridge are celebrating the successful extraction of usable DNA from a long-dead person after 14 years of effort. The method, developed by a team of scientists led by Eske Willerslev, was recently used to confirm the Read More...
Old Kingdom mummy upends previous beliefs about Egyptian mummification
When we think of ancient Egyptians, mummies usually come to mind pretty quickly, and new research is shedding light on the mummification process of these ancient civilizations. Specifically on the fact that Egyptians were practicing mummification long before we previously thought. The 2019 Read More...
The science behind the pumpkin spice latte
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM It’s pumpkin spice latte season, and whether you love or hate this classic festive beverage, you can’t deny that there is a nostalgic power to its sweet brew. To explore why exactly we love pumpkin spice so much, a pair of perception researchers from John Read More...
AMC Theaters to offer open captioning showtimes at 100 US locations
Movie theater company AMC has announced plans to make their showings more inclusive with the addition of open captioning during select showings at over 100 US locations. "By adding open captions to the variety of presentation formats we offer, AMC locations become a more welcoming place for Read More...
This science-backed playlist is full of songs that will give you chills
We all have those special songs we go back to every now and then if we want to get a good dosage of “chills”—that powerful emotional response reflected by a pleasurable sensation of tingles, and even goosebumps. But what exactly is it that makes our bodies respond that way to a piece of Read More...
Candy to costumes: 6 ways to make your Halloween more sustainable
Halloween is just around the corner! We have previously shared how to sustainably dispose of post-holiday waste, and this year, we bring you six more ways to green up the special occasion. Greener candy It’s not just plastic wrappings that make Halloween candy unsustainable. Many varieties Read More...
These crafty activists flock together and stitch canaries for climate change
Over the past few months, residents in the UK would have had the chance to spot more than 70 “flocks” of UK crafters that have been gathering across the nation as a way to encourage politicians to react more aggressively to the climate crisis. The participants in this project, which was Read More...
Vienna Tourist Board thwarts social media with unusual platform
The events of the past year or so have made us wonder: how much power should social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have over what we see, and what we are presented with? Due to the pandemic, many of us are perceiving the world through our screens, and it’s only been too easy to Read More...
Evidence shows Vikings arrived in Americas nearly 500 years before Columbus
Researchers have known for a while that Vikings from Greenland founded the village of L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland around the turn of the millennium, but now, a study published in Nature has finally pinpointed the exact arrival date of these individuals, the first Europeans to arrive in the Read More...
Wildlife filmaker provides a unique insight into the daily lives of bees
You may have seen bees flying around your backyard or local park, but it can be difficult for the naked human eye to grasp the full complexity of the lives of these pollinators. During the pandemic, wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn decided to shed some light on the secret lives of bees. Filming Read More...