Science
From mathematics and AI to medicine and psychology, The Optimist Daily features the latest news on discoveries, technological advances, and breakthroughs in the world of science. Our Science section is here to engage and enlighten you.
California joins the right-to-repair revolution
On September 12th, the California state Assembly passed Senate Bill 244 with a unanimous 50-0 vote, marking a historic milestone for the right-to-repair movement. This historic measure, which was also approved with an amazing 38-0 vote in the California Senate in May, now needs a final concurrence Read More...
Meet Susan Murabana, the astronomer bringing the cosmos to Kenyan youth
A celestial display unfolds beneath the velvety African night sky, amidst the peace of Kenya's isolated Samburu county. It’s 1:30 AM in mid-August, and 50 enthralled individuals lie on the dry riverbed, their eyes turned heavenwards, entranced by the stars. The Milky Way arcs gracefully across Read More...
A massive solar farm rises from a former landfill in the United Kingdom
The Ockendon solar farm, the third largest of its kind in the UK, is harnessing the power of the sun on what was once a bleak trash site in Essex in a revolutionary feat of eco-reinvention. The waste management company Veolia infused new life into this unexpected environment, where more than Read More...
A baby beaver sighting heralds the reemergence of California's beaver population
Bill Leikam, the president of the Urban Wildlife Research Project and fondly known as The Fox Guy, recently had a revelation while analyzing film from a wildlife camera along a Palo Alto creekbed. Amid the familiar wildlife, an unfamiliar creature darted across the screen. Leikam, a seasoned Read More...
Innovative “self-cooling” walls address rising temperatures
This year, Houstonians witnessed their city reach a searing 109 degrees in late August, tying a historic temperature record. Temperatures rose beyond 100 degrees for the duration of the previous month, underscoring the critical need for creative heat-resistance measures. The problem is keeping Read More...
Music therapy's transformative power in dementia care
Marta Cinta González Saldaa, a former exquisite ballerina, finds peace in the melodies of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake during the calm moments of her day. Despite the grasp of dementia, her hands follow the rhythm, and her spirit rises with the music for a brief moment. This touching moment, filmed in Read More...
This fentanyl-neutralizing vaccine may revolutionize the battle against opioid addiction
A game-changing technique is on the horizon in the never-ending battle against opiate addiction and overdose deaths. Scientists are preparing for the first human trials of vaccines created precisely to combat the devastation caused by fentanyl and heroin. Given the worrisome surge in opioid-related Read More...
Water purification revolutionized by a sustainable 3D-printed "living" material
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, made an astounding discovery that could change the way we deal with water contamination. They developed a revolutionary "engineered living material" that promises not just effective pollutant removal but also sustainability and Read More...
Meet Liesel, the first gorilla to receive novel stem cell therapy for arthritis
Liesel, the elderly gorilla matriarch at the Budapest Zoo, benefited from a groundbreaking method in animal healthcare. A stem-cell therapy directed by Professor Mark Wilkinson of the University of Sheffield alleviated Liesel's arthritis pain, giving a potential cure that exemplifies modern Read More...
Sharks and hurricanes: How do marine predators cope with storms?
Hurricane Idalia wreaked havoc in Florida last Wednesday, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake as a powerful Category 4 storm. Homes were swamped, highways transformed into rivers, electricity lines were downed, and at least one person died in a traffic-related tragedy. Humans, with our Read More...