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.
Spain plans switch to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2050
Spain has launched an ambitious plan to switch its electricity system entirely to renewable sources by 2050 and completely decarbonize its economy soon after. By mid-century greenhouse gas emissions would be slashed by 90 percent from 1990 levels under Spain’s draft climate change and energy Read More...
Volkswagen now lets Apple users unlock their cars with Siri
Volkswagen is deepening its relationship with Apple on its VW Car-Net app. iOS users can now use Siri to lock and unlock their car, check estimate mileage with the fuel or charge left in their vehicle, and enable Read More...
Nuclear power is slowly giving way to renewables in UK
Ten years after Tony Blair sparked a renewed interest in nuclear power, it seems nuclear power is already facing its downfall in the UK. The planned construction of a new nuclear plant in England was dropped this past week, and the funding of other nuclear projects is now in serious question. Read More...
French car-pool app Blablacar branching into bus lines
French car ride-sharing app Blablacar said on Monday it had offered to buy Ouibus, a bus operator owned by state rail firm SNCF, in the first major departure from its digital business model toward building a broader transport company. Blablacar did not disclose financial terms but said it had also Read More...
Scientists have invented a window coating that could cut air-conditioning costs
Scientists at MIT have discovered a see-through film that rejects 70 percent of the sun’s incoming heat. The material is thermochromic, meaning that it changes color in response to heat, getting darker at higher temperatures. Sticking it on windows could potentially make air-conditioners, which Read More...
From German trains to Korean buses, hydrogen fuel is back in the energy picture
Jorgo Chatzimarkakis was refueling his hydrogen fuel-cell car at one of the 50-plus refueling stations scattered around Germany when a Tesla driver, who was recharging his own car, approached. The man was excited to see a hydrogen-powered car in action, and was brimming with Read More...
The UK’s renewable sector surpasses fossil fuels in terms of generating power
Britain is showing unprecedented progress in its quest to become carbon-neutral by 2050. A new report shows that renewables in the country have set a new record with 42 gigawatts of capacity, overtaking the 40.6 gigawatts available from fossil fuels. The report also shows that the leading sources Read More...
Nikola Motor unveils a new hydrogen semi-truck designed for Europe
Nikola Motor has started taking reservations for Tre, the startup’s first hydrogen-electric truck built for the European market. Nikola Motor, which less than a year ago announced plans to build a $1 billion hydrogen-electric semi truck factory in a suburb of Phoenix, said it’s in the Read More...
How the humble lamp-post could help power our cities
As more than two-thirds of us will be living in cities by 2050, scientists and tech firms are looking at new ways to harness renewable energy within the built environment. But at what cost? One day, your office windows will be harvesting energy from the sun, while the lamp-post down in the street Read More...
Archaeologists are one step closer to uncovering how the pyramids were built
The question of how the great pyramids were built is one of the greatest mysteries of time. Now archaeologists are one step closer to solving the puzzle after making a chance discovery in an ancient Egyptian quarry. Have a look here to see what they found, and how it might explain how those huge Read More...