Today’s Solutions: December 17, 2025

Education

Great minds lead to great solutions. Our education section features solutions and innovations directed at strengthening educational systems around the world.

Close-up of the Khuwy mummy

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

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...

Baby sitting on picnic blanket in the park

Yet another study confirms cognitive benefits of green space

If you’re a regular Optimist Daily reader, you know about the tremendous cognitive and mental health benefits of green space. Now, yet another study has confirmed the link between nature and brain development and finds that access to green space helps children meet critical development Read More...

Group of people watching a movie in a theater

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...

Young woman peacefully listening to music on the couch

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...

Young girl eating carrots and broccoli

5 ways to get your kids to eat more vegetables

Heading into Halloween and the winter holidays, ‘tis the season where your kids are bound to overload on sugar. Balancing out the pumpkin pie and gingerbread houses with hearty vegetables will help keep your kids healthy and energetic, but how do you convince your little ones to eat more veggies Read More...

Candy to costumes: 6 ways to m

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...

young climate activist in hand-made canary costume poses in tree for climate change

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 s

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...

The Calm Line is Colombia̵

The Calm Line is Colombia's anti-machismo hotline for men

Cultures that are deeply ingrained with the concept of machismo, or the belief that men must be dominant, often have issues surrounding abuse and violence against women. While there are many women-centered movements and support lines, men who are willing but struggling to move past machismo Read More...