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.
Finland to phase out coal completely within the next decade
Finland pledged to eliminate its reliance on coal by 2030, but now the Nordic country has changed its mind. Instead, the Finnish government has pushed through a motion to complete the coal ban a year earlier. Now we know what you’re thinking: just one year? What’s the big deal? While it may not Read More...
NASA has scheduled the first-ever all-women spacewalk
On July 25, 1984, cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to walk in space. Now, almost 35 years later, history will once again be made as the first all-female spacewalk is scheduled to take place March 29. A total of 213 spacewalks have taken place since 1998, all of which have been Read More...
New Mexico becomes latest state to officially commit to 100 percent renewables
The Land of Enchantment, New Mexico, has just passed a bill that requires its public utilities to embrace 100 percent clean energy by 2045, making it the third state to officially commit to carbon-free electricity. Following in the footsteps of California and Hawaii, New Mexico will oust coal and Read More...
IBM is using machine learning to detect Alzheimer’s way before symptoms show up
The problem with treating Alzheimer’s is that once the symptoms start showing up, it’s already too late—meaning that early detection is absolutely vital in coming up with working solutions. Using the power of machine learning, IBM researchers have figured out a way to detect a biological Read More...
California has already surpassed its 2020 renewable energy target
When a state or company creates ambitious climate action targets for itself, it’s commendable. But only when those targets are actually achieved can those entities be recognized and respected. A few years back, California set a goal of having 33 percent of the state’s retail electricity come Read More...
Mushrooms can break down plastic in weeks and turn it into organic material
Apart from the great abilities of fungi to remove pollutants from soil and enable the conversion of waste into biofuels, there’s yet another good reason to love the mushroom – it can break down plastic. In 2012, scientists at Yale University discovered that a mushroom strain by the name of Read More...
Poop-to-power projects provide sanitation solutions to the developing world
Most people don’t give a second thought to the poop they flush away. But perhaps they should, because the energy contained within our repellent remains is impressive. If you let poop fester—and you probably shouldn’t in polite company—bacterial digestion will produce a methane-rich Read More...
You can take a walk around the Large Hadron Collider with Google Street View
Deep beneath the border between France and Switzerland lies the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world famous particle accelerator created to help us discover the origins of life. The ring-shaped LHC is comprised of a series of icy-cold superconducting magnets that accelerate particles destined to Read More...
New power system from Mitsubishi lets your car share power with your home
There are ample benefits that come with owning an electric car, but the ability to power your home with it has yet to be one. That’s set to change later this year as Mitsubishi has announced it will sell a system that lets you share power between your home and electric car. The systems feature Read More...
‘Smart’ windows could significantly reduce our reliance on air conditioners
Air conditioners consume a great amount of electricity, making them both a financial and an environmental burden. The good thing is scientists are increasingly coming up with innovative ways to slash down our over-reliance on these cooling machines. For instance, just this week we wrote about a Read More...