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.
E-waste: Scientists develop the world’s first fully recyclable transistor
One of the main reasons why so many electronics end up as e-waste instead of getting recycled at the end of their life is the fact that it’s really difficult to separate and recover the valuable materials that make them up. Now, a new technique developed by scientists at Duke University may help Read More...
This underwater kite generates electricity using water currents
Some time ago, we introduced you to KiteKraft, an innovative kite design that uses the power of the wind to generate clean electricity. Now, a similar kite system aims to do the same, but by using tidal and river currents instead. Called Manta, the system was developed by scientists at the Read More...
Europe investing big in hydrogen-powered trains to make railways greener
Hydrogen-powered trains play a huge role in achieving a post-carbon future for transportation worldwide by making our travel habits greener. In Europe, this green railway revolution is set to begin sooner than anticipated. Germany, for instance, is expected to become home to the first Read More...
Help India Breathe and other organizations providing Covid-19 aid
On April 25th, India’s Covid-19 cases surged to horrific levels—349,000 new cases were reported, which are more cases than any other country has reported on one day. Hospitals are packed with new patients and doctors are depleted of critical supplies such as oxygen and ventilators. At the Read More...
Scientists design an app that helps detect autism in toddlers
Autism is a disorder that affects how a person communicates and interacts with others, therefore, it’s quite difficult to notice in young children who are still developing social skills. This presents a challenge for parents and caregivers who want to be able to address their child’s needs as Read More...
GPS tracking is helping tigers and humans coexist in Nepal
Earlier this week we shared how AI tracking is saving elephant populations in Africa. Now, it turns out that tech innovations could help protect tigers in Nepal in a very similar way. Significant progress has been made in wild tiger conservation in Nepal with the population doubling from 2009 Read More...
How community shared solar can expand renewable energy access
Many homeowners are enthusiastic about the prospect of solar energy but lack the capital required for installation. Overcoming this initial investment hurdle is made easier by subsidy programs, but these programs are still often unattainable for low-income residents. From 2015 to 2020, Read More...
This robot uses chemical-free efficiency to remove thousands of weeds
Robotic innovations are becoming increasingly integrated with agriculture to make our growing systems efficient and sustainable. Recently, a startup called Carbon Robotics unveiled a new autonomous machine that uses computer vision and high-powered lasers to comb through fields and remove up to Read More...
New AI tech is protecting African elephants
African elephants are beautiful and majestic creatures that are unfortunately targeted by poachers because of their ivory tusks. In the last 50 years, the savanna elephant population dropped by 60 percent and the number of forest elephants has fallen by 86 percent in the past three Read More...
Astronauts arrive on the ISS on board a reused SpaceX capsule
On what was a historic day for spaceflight last Saturday, four astronauts arrived at the International Space Station in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon “Endeavour” spacecraft — marking the first time a rocket booster has been reused for a space mission with a crew on board. Dubbed Crew-2, the mission Read More...