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.
Bank of America officially says no to financing Arctic drilling
One word: Finally. Bank of America has just become the last major US financial institution to declare that they will no longer finance any oil and gas exploration in the Arctic. The decision, which was announced to Bloomberg News on Monday, comes after Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Chase, Wells Read More...
Jupiter and Saturn will appear to collide this winter solstice
During this year's winter solstice on December 21st, two of our solar system’s largest planets will appear to collide for the first time since the Middle Ages. This event, featuring Jupiter and Saturn, will show the two planets at one super bright spot of light in our skies. Although the Read More...
Hyundai announces EV only production platform
Hyundai, the world’s fifth-largest auto group, has announced a major move forward in the transition to all-electric vehicles. The South Korean car company will launch an electric vehicle-only platform in 2021 with its own battery technology to cut production time and costs for these greener Read More...
Experimental study finds CBD alone doesn’t impair driving ability
The two most prominent chemicals in cannabis are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is primarily associated with the plant’s psychoactive euphoric effects, while CBD is non-psychoactive and has been found to treat various medical conditions from epilepsy to anxiety. As the Read More...
14 nations come together to launch plan to safeguard our oceans
In 2018, a panel of world leaders was established with the goal of creating a plan to achieve a ‘sustainable ocean economy’ in which our precious oceans are guarded against exploitation. The panel featured a mix of 14 developed and developing nations from around the world, including Norway, Read More...
Scientists figure out how to turn briny water on Mars into oxygen and fuel
Figuring out ways for astronauts to source as many basic necessities as possible on Mars — or the Moon — is essential for future interplanetary space missions. With that in mind, engineers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a new electrolysis device that may be able to Read More...
Homes in Scotland will be the world’s first to use 100% green hydrogen
Hundreds of homes in Scotland will soon become the first in the world to use 100 percent green hydrogen to meet their heating and cooking needs as part of a new trial that could help accelerate the UK’s transition towards renewables. Scotland’s gas SGN company will outfit some 300 homes in Read More...
Why the use of mRNA in Covid-19 vaccines is exciting for science
If you hadn’t already heard, the world got some good news recently regarding the coronavirus after the interim results from Phase 3 clinical trials showed that two vaccine candidates were more than 90 percent effective. While these vaccines may provide a path towards a world that resembles Read More...
DeepMind’s AI program just solved one of biology’s biggest challenges
In the world of biology, a great problem has stumped scientists for 50 years: how do you accurately predict the shape that a protein will fold into? For scientists, this question is important because predicting the shape that a protein will fold into determines their function. In fact, nearly all Read More...
AI is helping beachgoers and sharks live in harmony on the CA coast
Warmer waters off the California coast are encouraging more great white sharks to visit the shores, leaving marine biologists scrambling to understand the shifting behavior and protect both sharks and beachgoers. To help solve the dilemma, Douglas J. McCauley, marine biology professor and Read More...