Evergreen
These animals socially distance themselves too during times of illness
While it may feel unnatural for us to engage in social distancing, the sacrifices we've made have deep roots in the animal kingdom. From ants and bees to mice, monkeys, and apes, an array of social animals change their behavior to reduce the risk of spreading infections when one member of the Read More...
Study: Eating dinner early can help you lower blood sugar and burn fat
Conventional wisdom is that a calorie is a calorie, no matter when you eat it, and that weight gain is caused by eating more calories than you use. Nutritionists call this the calories in, calories out theory of weight control. But it might not be as simple as that. New research discovers that Read More...
Why a clover lawn is so much better than a grass lawn
Americans use more than 7 billion gallons of water a day on their lawns. Over half of that doesn't even help lawns. People overwater, which is bad for the grass. Some water just evaporates or runs into sewers, carrying pesticides with it. That's a pretty heavy environmental cost. "But people like Read More...
Opera house performs first post-lockdown concert for an all-plant audience
In June 2020, Barcelona’s Liceu Opera House emerged from its lockdown-induced siesta by throwing a concert to a rather unusual audience. The attendees did not need masks or gloves in the middle of the pandemic, nor did they be required to follow physical distancing rules. However, they did Read More...
San Francisco police won't send officers to respond to non-criminal calls
Cities across the US are finally seeing some tangible police reform and defunding changes. San Francisco is joining the movement with their recent announcement that police officers will be replaced with trained, unarmed professionals to respond to calls for help on non-criminal matters involving Read More...
New bionic eye could restore sight and even offer night vision
As we’ve talked about on The Optimist Daily, prosthesis technology has come a long way in recent years, but the human eye has always been difficult to replicate. Now, scientists have designed a prototype for the first 3D artificial bionic eye, which could let users see better than with the real Read More...
Scientists map an entire ancient Roman city using only radar technology
We have previously written about how high-tech laser scanners have enabled scientists to discover the oldest and largest known structure built by the Mayans. Equipped with similar state-of-the-art technology, a group of archaeologists has managed to map an entire ancient Roman city while it’s Read More...
PayPal commits to invest $530 million to support minority-owned businesses
Along with elected officials, corporate leaders also have an important role to play when it comes to addressing racial inequality. Now, in the wake of worldwide protests against racial injustice, some of the world’s biggest corporate players are stepping in to support action against this societal Read More...
A female-led energy company is bringing green power to the Navajo Nation
The Rural Electrification Act of 1936 aimed to erase energy access disparities across the US but left out Native American tribes throughout the country. Lack of energy access still plagues these communities today. According to the American Public Power Association, Native American communities Read More...
Educating kids: Sesame Street addresses racism in 60-minute TV special
There are a few topics that are difficult to explain to children. When it comes to racism, Sesame Street is here to lend a helping hand. On Saturday, June 6, 2020, the kids' television show Sesame Street teamed up with CNN to broadcast a 60-minute special titled “Coming Together: Standing Up Read More...