Education
Great minds lead to great solutions. Our education section features solutions and innovations directed at strengthening educational systems around the world.
7 life-changing benefits of playing tennis
It doesn't matter if you've never picked up a tennis racquet before or if yours has been gathering dust for years; it's never too late to start enjoying tennis' many advantages. In honor of National Play Tennis Day, we're sharing how tennis can have a positive impact on your physical, mental, and Read More...
More reasons to become a RAKtivist? Being kind to others also benefits the self
"Random Acts of Kindness" Day may be on a Friday this year, but the organization behind it hopes to remind you that being nice is an everyday endeavor. Of course, being kind to people regularly is simply a great thing to do. However, research shows that those who help others reap a lot of Read More...
Happiness and well-being expert shares what actually makes a happier life
Happiness and well-being researcher and author of A Journey for Happiness: The Man Who Cycled to Bhutan Christopher Boyce spent years studying what makes people happy. However, he was still unsure of how to live a happy life himself, until he quit his decade-long career as a happiness academic to Read More...
What is NEAT and why is it more effective for weight loss than exercise?
"Non-exercise activity thermogenesis," also known as NEAT, is a fancy term for the energy you expend during the day whenever you’re not sleeping, eating, or doing purposeful exercise (like sports or gym workouts). You engage in NEAT by just walking about the house or office, hurrying to catch a Read More...
A brief history of Groundhog Day
In honor of Groundhog Day 2023, The Optimist Daily shares some background knowledge on this centuries-old American tradition. The first Groundhog Day Groundhog Day was commemorated for the first time on February 2, 1887, at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, thanks to a "rodent Read More...
These 3 questions can help you become more likable
It's human nature to want to be liked. We desire connection and relationships, and we appreciate the affirmation and ego boost that comes from knowing that other people enjoy our company. So, it’s no surprise that many are often preoccupied with whether or not people find them likable. If you Read More...
Secrets of the sea: hidden underwater forests may help fight climate crisis
The Nature Conservancy's marine biologist Frank Hurd spends his days amongst gigantic kelp curtains, studying underwater forests. One of his usual diving haunts is a kelp forest off Anacapa Island, one of the Channel Islands national park's protected rocky volcanic islets off southern Read More...
22 reasons for optimism in 2022 (part II)
Here are eleven more good things that happened in 2022 that gave us cause to hope and celebrate. If you haven’t read part I yet, click here to check it out. Wordlemania hit hard In 2022, the number everyone was begging to hear was your Wordle score. Though the game where you try to predict a Read More...
22 reasons for optimism in 2022 (part I)
Here are eleven good things that happened in 2022 that gave us cause to hope and celebrate. Ukraine still stands Russian President Vladimir Putin and most others expected Ukraine to succumb to Russian control within days of his late February invasion. Few foresaw the force of the Ukrainian Read More...
Two new DC public schools model net zero education
It goes without saying that we should be teaching our children about important environmental matters, especially excessive energy consumption and the need for energy efficiency. But what about the energy that a school itself consumes? While it is a rarely-thought-of area for improvement, new Read More...