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.
Solar energy ‘like light from heaven’ for rural Nicaragua
For most of her life Dina Leiba got up in the dark, and went to bed in the dark. If she needed to get up to look after a sick child, she reached for a torch – if she had money for Read More...
Electric trucks will soon clean up the cargo industry
Experts expect global C02 emissions from road freight traffic to more than double by 2050, but these projections may have underestimated the rise of electric trucks. For example: UPS is partnering with the state of New York to convert up to 1,500 of its old diesel trucks to all-electric systems. Read More...
Conservationists use decoy eggs to stop poachers of endangered sea turtles
The eggs of the endangered sea turtle are considered a delicacy and an aphrodisiac, making them an expensive commodity on the black market. To catch poachers who steal sea turtle eggs, a conservation nonprofit is planting GPS-implanted eggs along with real eggs. That way, when poachers take eggs Read More...
Where self-driving cars go to learn
Last December, Uber clashed with California regulators when it tested its self-driving cars in San Francisco without permission from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The company was quickly ordered to shut down its Read More...
This conservationist believes nature is thriving in the age of extinction
As humans have progressed, the stability of the animal kingdom has deteriorated. Animals that were once thriving, like the great ape, now have alarmingly low populations. There is no doubt that humans have left a bad mark on the earth, but one conservationist believes that only tells half of the Read More...
Uber wants to pick you up with autonomous flying cars by 2020
Uber has always been ambitious, but the company’s latest plans are taking their aspirations to new heights. The ride-hailing company wants to have a “flying car” service up and running in three years’ time in Los Angeles. Although the electric, autonomous, vertical-takeoff-and-landing Read More...
‘Putting self-driving cars on the road as soon as possible will save lives’
Driving a car is the deadliest "disease". It kills 1.2 million people every year. More than malaria. More than violence. More than wars. The self-driving car is not yet perfect. But today's not completely perfect self-driving cars will do better than human drivers... and save lives. That's why a Read More...
Can California eliminate gas cars?
More than 25 million cars cruise the roads in California, a testament to the state's love affair with driving. A tiny slice of those vehicles are electric or plug-in hybrid Read More...
This extraordinary Tesla can also be powered by hydrogen
A big debate amongst car enthusiasts is whether hydrogen fuel cell cars or electric plug-in cars are better, but what if you didn’t have to choose between either of them? A company in the Netherlands claims it has successfully added a hydrogen power source to a Tesla to effectively double the Read More...
In two years, Scotland will run only on renewable energy
Countries looking to transition to clean energy as quickly as possible should use Scotland as a model nation to follow. Over the past fifteen years, Scotland has gone from garnering 10 percent of its electricity from renewables to 60 percent. Now its on track to supply 100 percent of its Read More...