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.
Three countries to reach Mars' orbit by the end of this month
The pandemic has restrained life here on Earth, but it hasn’t stopped humans from pushing boundaries in space. In fact, spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates, China, and The United States are all scheduled to reach Mars this month after launching from Earth last summer. All three countries Read More...
We could soon use hills as batteries to store solar and wind energy
While solar and wind power are now the cheapest sources of energy across the world, energy storage remains one of the biggest hurdles preventing a full switch to renewables. This is because it’s still quite expensive to use batteries for storing power. A startup, however, has figured out a new Read More...
This electricity-free device can cool buildings in an eco-friendly way
Air conditioners are among the world’s hungriest energy consumers, and as the planet becomes warmer and the demand for cooling systems increases, the strain on the environment from air conditioners is only expected to grow. In a bid to find a way to passively cool our buildings, researchers at Read More...
This New Yorker built a new vaccine appointment website with less than $50
When New York City began distributing Covid-19 vaccines, senior residents eagerly started trying to make appointments to receive one. Unfortunately, the registration websites were glitchy and confusing, especially for older citizens with limited tech skills. Even Huge Ma, a 31-year-old software Read More...
This technology allows plants to communicate with farmers
Scientists at the Swiss deep tech company Vivent have created technology that allows us to know exactly what our plants need. Before this, farmers have relied on secondary indicators for finding problems with their crops, looking, for example, for signs of drought by checking out their roots. But Read More...
MIT researchers create origami-like patch to seal internal injuries
MIT researchers have developed a biodegradable medical patch that could soon help robot surgeons mend internal injuries and could ultimately lead to wider use of robots in medicine. Today, bioadhesive patches are already in use for surgeries that intend to seal internal damage, but the problem is Read More...
Dog owner 3D-prints halo to help his blind dog avoid head trauma
When an 18-year-old dog named Sienna lost her eyesight, she started colliding into door frames and walls. Her owner, Chad Lalande, feared she might suffer from head trauma as a result, which is why he harnessed the power of his brand-new 3D printer to create prototypes of a device known as a Read More...
Elon Musk announces $100m competition for carbon removal technologies
Carbon capture technologies have proven their potential to help accelerate the transition towards a post-carbon future. But one of the main problems preventing the solution’s widespread implementation is that the tech is still relatively expensive and unproven at scale. In a bid to foster Read More...
Robert Downey Jr launches venture fund to invest in sustainable tech
Last year, actor Robert Downey Jr of ‘Iron Man’ launched the FootPrint Coalition, an organization dedicated to using high-tech innovations to tackle environmental problems. As part of that effort, the actor and activist, has now announced the launch of the FootPrint Coalition Ventures, a series Read More...
Zipline is using drones to deliver frozen vaccines to remote clinics
One of the most challenging aspects of transporting and maintaining Covid-19 vaccines is that they need to be stored in frozen temperatures. The Pfizer vaccine, for instance, must be stored at a bone-chilling minus 70 degrees Celsius. This makes transporting the vaccines to remote locations a Read More...