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.
Nature built the first nuclear reactor 1.7 billion years ago
Today's nuclear energy doesn't provide a sustainable solution. Nuclear power plants produce dangerous waste for which we have no good solution. But nature shows that energy produced by nuclear fission can work. In fact, the first nuclear reactor was built 1.7 billion years ago, long before the Read More...
This electric zero-emissions plane powered by hydrogen will fly in 2025
While the clean electric car revolution is rapidly gathering speed, we still face a big technology test to clean up the aircraft industry. Clean planes pose a major challenge especially when they get to the jumbo sizes we have been getting used to traveling the world. But it is happening: this Read More...
California amends rules to push vehicles toward hydrogen, electricity, biofuel
California's Air Resources Board (CARB) has announced that it would tighten restrictions on transportation fuels in the state in the hopes of spurring adoption of electric, hydrogen, and biofuel-based cars, trucks, buses, and even planes. Since 2011, CARB has had a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Read More...
Ikea rolls out self-driving car concepts that don’t look like cars
Ikea just became the latest company to announce it's tinkering with self-driving cars. But don't call Ikea the next Waymo or Read More...
Uber, Lyft and the urgency of saving money on ambulances
An ambulance ride of just a few miles can cost thousands of dollars, and a lot of it may not be covered by insurance. With ride-hailing services like Uber or Lyft far cheaper and now available within minutes in many areas, would using one instead be a good idea? Perhaps surprisingly, the answer in Read More...
First California public floating solar power system delivered
Kelseyville County Waterworks District #3 will now host California's first floating solar power system. The innovative new design, announced by its producer, Ciel & Terre USA, will consist of a new 252 kW floating photovoltaic power system which will produce up to 1,650 kWh a year. The 720 Read More...
Elon Musk asks Tesla employees to test full self-driving version of Autopilot
The version of Autopilot that Elon Musk has long promised would make Tesla cars capable of driving themselves is reportedly being handed over to a small group of employees for testing, according to an internal email obtained by Bloomberg. In the email, Musk promised there were about 100 spots Read More...
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Scientists connect brains of three people
Neuroscientists have successfully hooked up a three-way brain connection to allow three people to share their thoughts and play a computer game. The team thinks the experiment could be scaled up to connect whole networks of people. "Our results raise the possibility of future brain-to-brain Read More...
Your next car will be self-driving—if you buy a car at all
Autonomous cars are not a theoretical, maybe-if proposition that depends on a lot of different pegs falling into place. They’re already driving Read More...
New, cheaper battery will boost energy storage in developing countries
Clean renewable energy requires power storage in batteries. The lithium-ion battery is the most efficient one. The technology is also expensive which limits their impact in developing countries. An innovation by a US energy company might change that. NantEnergy is developing a zinc-air battery that Read More...