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.
New hydrogel could make bone marrow transplants more successful
Bone marrow transplants are a common treatment for certain conditions related to the blood, but the patient's immune system can often react badly to the foreign cells and attack them. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) may help, but they too can be cleared out by immune cells. Now, a Harvard team has Read More...
Scientists have now created lab-grown ice cream that requires nothing from cows
By now you’ve probably heard about lab-grown meat (if not, check out Monday’s daily), but have you heard about lab-grown ice cream? Apparently, lab-grown ice cream is here that is made from a whey protein that is produced by genetically modified yeast rather than cows. In fact, not a single cow Read More...
Wind has generated enough energy in Scotland to power all of its homes twice
Scotland is proving it's well underway when it comes to reaching its goal of having an “almost completely” decarbonized energy system by 2050. Between January and June this year, wind turbines in the highland country generated 9,831,320 megawatt-hours worth of energy. The numbers, which were Read More...
This new 3D microscope will solve one of cell biology’s biggest problems
There's a problem in cell biology research: to study what happens inside a cell, it has to be destroyed. When scientists use a traditional microscope to observe a cell, they use stains -- chemicals that color parts of the cell to make them visible. However, these stains cause damage and kill the Read More...
English lawmakers want to require all new homes to install electric car chargers
How do you motivate people to start driving electric cars? According to English lawmakers, one way could be to install electric chargers in all new homes. New draft legislation has just been released in the UK that would require every new home to include a built-in electric car charging port. If Read More...
China is now building the world’s largest waste-to-energy plant
On the outskirts of the city of Shenzhen in China, a mammoth structure is being constructed. But this is not just another giant building in China. Instead, it’s set to be the largest waste-to-energy plant the world has ever seen. With a population of 20 million people, the city produces a lot Read More...
“To Infinity and Beyond” - The Power of Imagination
Science Fiction, Otherworldly Aspirations & Innovative Teamwork By Kristy Jansen July 20, 2019 was the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s first small step on another world, and humanity’s symbolic “giant leap” into the future. In the intervening decades, we have learned how to Read More...
Why difficult conversations can be transformative—even without a resolution
In the early 2000s, psychology professor Peter Coleman of Columbia University established The Difficult Conversations Lab to study deeply rooted, complicated and hard-to-solve conflicts. He wanted to understand why conflicts in families, communities, and in the international arena get stuck in a Read More...
Study: realigning wind turbines can boost the energy output of wind farms
People who follow auto racing or sailing know about aerodynamics and wind turbulence. Race cars leave eddies of disturbed air in their wake, slowing down the cars behind. Sailboats have similar eddies of turbulent air streaming back from their sails, slowing down the boats following. Based Read More...
To solve the climate crisis, we need a World Carbon Bank
Despite all the needless waste being produced by America, the sad truth is that emerging Asia is by far the main driver of the world’s growing carbon dioxide emissions right now. So, how do we stop this endless flow of emissions? One way would be to establish the right incentives for countries Read More...