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.
Michael Pollan’s audiobook Caffeine explains the world’s most common drug
We featured psychedelic researcher and author Michael Pollan during our Marvelous Mushrooms week. Now he is back to explain why we have caffeine cravings and why being healthy doesn’t necessarily mean giving up coffee. For his new audiobook, Caffeine, Pollan went cold turkey on caffeine for Read More...
Producing clean energy from rain could soon be possible
After many attempts, scientists may have finally figured out how to generate electricity using rain. What they have created is a generator that uses what is called a field-effect transistor-style structure that produces a surprisingly high voltage from water drops—a single drop can create Read More...
These semi-transparent solar cells could make greenhouse self-sufficient
Greenhouses and solar panels both need to be placed in areas with a lot of sunlight – so why not combine the two? Semi-transparent solar cells could potentially be built into the glass roof panels of greenhouses, capturing light at wavelengths that plants don’t use anyway. Now, researchers at Read More...
The UK is moving forward its ban of new gas-powered cars by 5 years
The UK had a ban in place that would make it illegal to sell new petrol, diesel, or hybrid cars in the country from 2040 onward, but now that plan being amended…for the better. Under new government plans, the UK will bring the ban forward from 2040 to 2035 at the latest. The change comes after Read More...
Will RNA editing be the health tool of the future?
You might have heard of DNA editing before - maybe through its potential for its therapeutic technique on people or its more controversial side through gene editing. DNA editing is by no means a recent discovery as its first developments date back to 2011, but since then a lot has been promised Read More...
Reverse solar panel could generate power at night
One of the current problems we face with solar panels is that they don’t generate electricity if the bright sun isn’t shining directly at them. This problem becomes evident when it’s night time. During the night, solar panels are simply in a standstill, and buildings have to rely on the Read More...
Shipping companies want to cut emissions. This biofuel might do the trick
Despite that we’re in the early stages of 2020, it’s already been a momentous year for the shipping industry's commitment to cleaning up its act. On Jan. 1, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) ordered the world’s shipping fleet, which accounts for 3 percent of global greenhouse gas Read More...
Check out the most-detailed images ever made of the sun's surface
Is it melted caramel, or maybe some popcorn kernels? Actually it's neither-- the picture above shows the molten layer that covers the sun’s surface. This impressive new picture taken by the new Daniel K. Inouye telescope in Hawaii shows us the highest resolution images ever taken of the sun’s Read More...
How improv classes can serve as natural remedy for anxiety
Feeling anxious? Taking improv classes might just be a fantastic natural remedy for your worrying ways. In a pilot study in the Journal of Mental Health, scientists in 2017 discovered that improv exercises may provide a “strong and efficient treatment for patients with anxiety and depression.” Read More...
New discovery could lead to huge drop in solar power costs
A new breakthrough from scientists at Washington State University could soon cause the price of solar power to plunge well below the US Department of Energy’s 2030 cost targets for renewable energy way ahead of schedule. What the scientists have discovered is a new way to produce cadmium Read More...