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.
How diesel cars could run on algae-based fuel in the future
For years corn and soybeans have been touted as possible alternatives to dirty diesel fuel, but until now, nobody has figured out how to make biofuel from these crops in a cheap, sustainable manner. That’s why researchers from the University of Michigan are turning to algae. Unlike corn or Read More...
UK scientists turn coffee industry waste into electricity
Scientists have turned coffee waste into electricity for the first time, in research that could help farmers and curb pollution in the developing world. The coffee industry generates a huge amount of liquid waste during the process of turning the raw material of the tree – the coffee cherries – Read More...
Arizona is creating an autonomous vehicle research institute
Arizona, a state that has been quite open to self-driving technology, has now created the Institute for Automated Mobility (IAM), a consortium focused on autonomous vehicle research, safety, and policy. Overseen by the Arizona Commerce Authority, IAM brings together the state's transportation and Read More...
The way to Mars: bewildering discovery of life found 2,000 feet below the ground
Cyanobacteria are life-sustaining micro-organisms that have played a key role in providing oxygen to our planet’s oceans and atmosphere, thus allowing life to flourish on Earth. It was believed that they can only survive in habitats with enough sunlight, water, and nutrients. But scientists were Read More...
Hawaii is on course to achieve its carbon neutrality goal
In 2015 the Aloha state expressed its commitment to going completely renewable and carbon neutral by 2045, the most ambitious goal in the US. Hawaii is expected to reach those goals as the state’s main utility company is reaching the final steps of a deal to add seven new solar-plus-storage Read More...
Global demand for fossil fuels will peak in 2023, says thinktank
Global demand for fossil fuels will peak in 2023, an influential thinktank has predicted, posing a significant risk to financial markets because trillions of dollars’ worth of oil, coal and gas assets could be left worthless. Explosive growth in wind and solar will combine with action on climate Read More...
Waymo’s self-driving cars hit 10 million miles
Alphabet’s self-driving car company Waymo has spent years testing its autonomous vehicles on public roads. What started as a trickle of miles driven each day has exploded in the past few Read More...
Innovative material regenerates itself by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air
Scientists at MIT have developed a pioneering material that absorbs carbon dioxide from the air and uses it to restore itself. The material, which undergoes a chemical reaction similar to the process of photosynthesis in plants, could be used to make pavement that heals Read More...
This cheap mineral is making LED lighting technology far more efficient
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) may be the most energy efficient light-generating technology we have now, but scientists have found a way to make them even more efficient. Using perovskite, a mineral found abundantly in the Earth’s mantle, as the semiconductor, the LED can produce light more Read More...
Uber-funded research project pushes new ways to measure safety of driverless cars
A typical driving test considers basic skills: Can you parallel park? Do you merge safely? Do you know to yield to pedestrians? No such government exam is required for cars driven by a computer. The idea has been dismissed by federal officials who oppose regulation and industry leaders who say they Read More...