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.
Father creates tech that gives any wheelchair smart driving capabilities
Although power wheelchairs are intended to help the disabled get around quickly and safely, users of power wheelchairs often sustain injuries from collisions or tipping over. Of the roughly half of wheelchair users who reported an injury over a three-year period, 87% said it was a tip or fall. Read More...
West Coast states are gearing up to build an electric highway
Imagine driving on a highway where semi-trucks don’t belch dirty diesel fumes because they can rely solely on electric power. Well, that could be the case on the West Coast relatively soon. Recently, utilities and state agencies in California, Oregon, and Washington announced a plan to transform Read More...
New technology enables power plants to “reuse” emissions
Power plants give off vast amounts of greenhouse gas emissions, but a new technology could help curb these devastating effects by harnessing exhaust to generate even more power. According to research published this month in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemical Engineering, the technology is not Read More...
Sloth robot takes role of conservationist to watch over rare species
While typically sloths are not on display at Atlanta’s Botanical Garden, over the next couple of months, the garden’s visitors will be treated to the peculiar sight of a cute, sloth-resembling robot hanging out amongst the trees, watchfully observing the natural environment around it. The Read More...
New tech taps into the movement of tree branches to generate electricity
Inspired by the continuous flows of energy found in nature, a recent project has proved that the natural movement of trees may offer a sustainable alternative to power our cities in the future. The concept, called anemokinetics, is based on the first law of thermodynamics, which states that Read More...
Satellites allow researchers to study connection between fog and vegetation
There is a strong relationship between fog levels and ecological health, but until now, researchers had relied on limited ground data to explore this connection. Now, using satellite imagery, researchers can spot ecological damage from studying fog distribution. Fog is critical for regions Read More...
Lyft pledges to transition its fleet to 100% zero-emission vehicles by 2030
With millions of drivers worldwide, ride-hailing companies have a key role to play in accelerating the transition of our mobility system towards a greener future. With that in mind, Lyft has recently pledged that all of its vehicles will be 100 percent electric by 2030. By working together with Read More...
Readers in Africa and Asia can see a “ring of fire” eclipse this Sunday
This weekend kicks off the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, and this year features an additional special solar event: a "ring of fire" new moon and solar eclipse. Lunar eclipses happen when the Earth sits between the sun and a full moon, while solar eclipses happen when the new moon Read More...
EV drivers in the UK will get special ‘green’ license plates
In a bid to boost the number of zero-emission vehicles running on its roads, the UK government has come up with a smart incentive to get its drivers to switch to cleaner cars: rewarding them with special license plates. The green license plates identifying electric vehicles are actually green in Read More...
Mysterious spots on one of Saturn’s moons found to be dry lake beds
In the early 2000s, astronomers noticed mysterious bright spots on Titan, one of Saturn’s moons. A new study has determined that the spots, which are more than 3,000 miles wide, are remnants of dried-up lakes. “Titan is still currently the only other place in the universe that we know to Read More...