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.
1,000 institutions commit themselves to divest from fossil fuels
A remarkable number of 1,000 institutions have pledged to drop investments in coal, oil, and gas companies, following increasing pressure from global campaigners. Pressure is mounting for nations and businesses to eradicate fossil fuels altogether after scientists warned it was the only way to Read More...
Batteries that could let electric cars drive twice as far just got closer
In 2010, a pair of MIT materials scientists helped launch 24M, promising to deliver cheaper, better batteries by stripping out inactive materials in the Read More...
Record-breaking 390,000 acres auctioned off for offshore wind farming
Three developers have made history in the wind power game by buying a record of 390,000 acres of federal water for the price of $405 million. These firms will each pay $135 million to the federal government for the rights to build massive windmills in the respective slices of the ocean. This Read More...
California says all city buses have to be emission free by 2040
On the heels of a dire government report published last month about climate change and its devastating impacts, many cities and states are scrambling to find ways to curb the greenhouse gas emissions that threaten their air quality, not to mention their Read More...
Hydrokinetic energy from running water cleanly charges electrical vehicles
Lif-E-Buoy takes advantage of the natural hydrokinetic energy of running water—abundantly available in most river-based urban centres—to generate clean energy for electric vehicles and infrastructure. EU-supported for the lif-E-Buoy project has enabled researchers to undertake a feasibility Read More...
Decade-long study unveils remarkable biosphere in the rocks beneath our feet
For almost a decade, scientists have joined forces to investigate the lifeforms which inhabit the depths of our planet’s crust - one of the largest and least-explored ecosystems on Earth. Among the mind-boggling discoveries were bizarre creatures that can survive at record depths, pressures and Read More...
Scottish wind farms surpass 100 percent threshold for domestic demand
Scotland sets a new record for renewable power generation with its wind farms producing more than the country’s entire energy demand. Over the month of November, wind turbines have powered 109 percent of the total energy requirement which is enough to provide electricity for 6 million Read More...
Kenya plans to supply 100 percent green energy with the help of geothermal power
Geothermal power is one of the cleanest and most sustainable forms of energy that can be harnessed on Earth and it accounts for almost half of Kenya’s electricity supply. The East African country is not planning on stopping there as it’s scaling up efforts to attain 100 percent green energy Read More...
Australia’s renewables sector doubles output in boom year
Australia’s renewables sector has doubled its output over the past 12 months, with more than $20bn of projects now under construction, but the current boom will not last without policy certainty, according to the Clean Energy Read More...
Nasa and Honda are pairing up to revolutionize the conventional battery
Scientists from Nasa and Honda are putting a joint effort to develop a new battery that could deliver up to 10 times the energy density of a conventional lithium-ion cell. The battery would be fluoride-based, would take fewer resources to manufacture, and wouldn’t pose a safety risk due to Read More...