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.
This dragonfly-inspired robot could help monitor environmental disasters
Scientists from Duke University have engineered a completely electronics-free soft robot that can fly across bodies of water to perform long-range environmental monitoring such as detecting oil spills and assessing the level of acidity in water. Dubbed DraBot, the robot is modeled after a Read More...
Want to save the coral reefs? There's an app for that.
Coral reefs are one of nature’s most amazing spectacles. Coral not only brings vibrance to underwater landscapes but also provides a home for more than a quarter of the world’s marine animals. Unfortunately, rising temperatures are putting corals under stress, expelling the algae that lend them Read More...
This superbug has a big appetite...for sewage
Scientists at the Urban Utilities water management plant in Queensland, Australia have grown a superbug from scratch. Its superpower? A remarkably large appetite for sewage. The bacteria, called anammox bugs, were devised as a response to the rapidly growing population. Plant Manager Peter Read More...
This ambient music comes from an unexpected spooky source
Have you ever wondered what spiderwebs sound like? Probably not, and neither had we until we came across this project. That curious thought is exactly what prompted scientists at MIT to create a brand-new genre of music — produced by spiders. How did they do it? Well, according to Futurism, the Read More...
Thought Leader Series: Tribal Nations pave a path to renewables
Last year, we shared a story about Native Renewables, a female-led company providing renewable energy to the Navajo Nation with small-scale, independent, solar grids. Initiatives like this have been instrumental in both electrifying and providing economic prosperity for Native American Read More...
Kauri trees provide rare glimpse into Earth’s ancient climate
Kauri trees are copper-skinned conifers endemic to New Zealand. They’re held sacred by the indigenous Māori and have been used for carvings and canoes for thousands of years. They also hold invaluable information about the world’s climate history. The trees can live for more than two Read More...
Small wind turbine could enable buildings to live off the grid
Last week, we discussed Vortex Bladeless, a bladeless wind turbine with the potential to become the wind equivalent of rooftop solar panels. As it turns out, Vortex Bladeless is not the only invention out there seeking to rethink the design of traditional wind turbines. Enter Powerpod, a portable Read More...
Daimler is now taking orders for their all-electric freight truck
Electric trucks have the power to revolutionize the shipping industry and drastically cut emissions, but designing a truck that can travel long distances and transport large amounts of goods on electric power is no easy feat. Fortunately, vehicle company Daimler Trucks has announced they are ready Read More...
Electric company Polestar wants to make a car that’s truly zero-emission
When you see something labeled as “carbon neutral,” chances are that its manufacturer purchased carbon offsets to counterbalance the product’s environmental impact. Offsets typically involve supporting different environmental projects across the world, such as reforestation and conservation Read More...
New French policy mandates more sustainable travel
French travel is about to get a green upgrade as the country’s parliament has voted to ban any domestic flights in which the same destination can be reached by train in less than two and a half hours. After a heated debate in the Assemblée Nationale, the new policy means that greener train Read More...