Medicine
From advancements in the fight against malaria to new cancer treatments, to novel medical technologies, find all positive news about incredible medical breakthroughs and life-saving technology from all corners of the globe.
Can stem cells cure the leading cause of blindness?
We have covered the pursuit for the cure to blindness a great deal at The Optimist Daily. The research and development around retinal implants and gene therapy for blind people is eclectic and ever-growing. Scientists have developed methods in gene editing and even using algae to help people see Read More...
The James Dyson Award: a call to young inventors
The Optimist Daily has written about many winners of the James Dyson Award. This is an international design award that celebrates, encourages, and inspires the next generation of design engineers. It is open to current and recent design engineering students and is run by the James Dyson Foundation, Read More...
Here’s why mosquitos still bite us even when wearing repellent
As the warmer months approach, the number of mosquito bites you're getting is probably starting to rise. Those pesky insects use their mouths to penetrate our skin and suck up our blood, leaving an itchy, swollen bite in its place. For some areas in the world, a bite from one of these animals Read More...
Drug used to treat alcoholism effectively treats vision disorders in mice
Researchers at the University of California, Berkley, have realized that a drug once commonly used to treat alcoholism might also be useful in improving the sight of individuals with vision disorders. The drug disulfiram (also known as Antabuse) was first tested on mice when researchers Read More...
The secrets of body-to-brain communication
There are so many types of communication that occur in our world, some of which you’ve probably never even considered. Having a chat over coffee, fungal networks sending each other signals underground, or even plant-to-farmer communication, there are so many types of relationships that rely on Read More...
The gene that could stop Parkinson's disease
Scientists are always working tirelessly to figure out new, effective treatments for complex neurological conditions. Here at The Optimist Daily, we’ve reported on many before, such as non-invasive brain surgery for people with epilepsy and using brain signals to allow a man with paralysis to Read More...
Can video games treat health conditions? This start-up thinks so
Video games tend to have a bad rep of fostering addiction and encouraging people to waste time—however, as gamification proves a handy tool in conservation, humanitarian initiatives, and in combatting climate change, video games may also become a rising star in another arena: health. Video games Read More...
mRNA therapy shows promise treating muscular diseases
Vaccination breakthroughs in the past few years have shown the potential in messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA). This tiny molecule naturally resides in every one of our cells and has the important job as the middleman between our DNA and proteins, relaying information from one to the Read More...
Rare white wallabies get their color from viral DNA
Wallabies are adorable marsupials with an appetite for greens and veggies. The majority of these animals can be found hopping around Papua New Guinea or Australia and naturally have a brown or gray coat, enabling them to blend in with their surroundings and avoid predators. While brown Read More...
Yellow-bellied marmots stop aging in hibernation
The Optimist Daily has written a lot about the importance of sleep, how it can renew your energy levels or make you happier. What if we told you that it also halted the aging process? You would have to go into hibernation to make that happen, so it might be a bit out of humans’ reach for now. Read More...