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.
Reading the Bible through neuroscience
James Kugel has spent his entire scholarly career studying the Bible, but some very basic questions about it still obsess him. What was it about the minds of ancient Israelites that allowed them to hear and see God directly—or at least, to believe that they Read More...
A Proterra electric bus just drove 1,100 miles on a single charge
On Tuesday, Proterra revealed that one of its Catalyst E2 Max electric buses just set a new world record for the longest distance traveled by an electric vehicle on a single charge. The bus, which packs a hefty 660kWh of storage—equivalent to 11 Chevy Bolts—drove a total of 1,101.2 miles Read More...
World’s tallest solar tower to be built within world’s largest solar park
What’s projected to be the world’s largest single-site solar park is now set to get a major boost after developers approved a plan to build the world’s tallest solar tower in the middle of the park. Located 31 miles south of Dubai, this concentrated solar power project will generate power by Read More...
Satellite images can help predict malaria outbreaks months in advance
Researchers are using NASA satellite data to find the conditions that are most likely to foster malaria outbreaks. By identifying areas where the soil moisture creates prime breeding grounds for the mosquitos that transmit malaria, researchers could predict and prepare for outbreaks 3 months before Read More...
In a stunning turnaround, Britain moves to end the burning of coal
Bigger than any medieval castle, with its 12 giant white cooling towers gleaming in the sun, the Drax Power Station dominates the horizon for tens of miles across the flat lands of eastern England. For four decades, it has been one of the world’s largest coal power plants, often generating a Read More...
World’s largest electric vehicle generates more electricity than it uses
Although the most visible example of the future of electric mobility is the consumer electric car, the commercial transportation sector and heavy industry are two major areas where transitioning to cleaner fuels will have a big impact on air quality. And now thanks to a consortium of Swiss Read More...
This project converts wind into funds for climate change research
Here’s a project that just years ago would have sounded absurd and unheard of. In a field in Sweden, a climate activist deployed a wind turbine to power a weather-proof PC that mines the cryptocurrency Zcash. All the digital dollars that it generates go directly to climate change research. The Read More...
Geothermal energy could get major boost after conference in Florence
Geothermal energy is one of the lowest-cost energy sources available. It has huge potential for lowering greenhouse gas emissions and saving money. Despite this, harnessing heat from the Earth almost doesn’t happen outside Iceland. That isn’t very resourceful considering that 90 countries Read More...
Economic reality sets in for energy company trying to build new coal plant in Kansas
After more than a decade of efforts to dramatically expand the Sunflower Electric Power Corporation’s coal-fired power plant in Holcomb, Kansas, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the principal backer, now considers it unlikely that the project will move Read More...
World's first hydrogen generated by tidal energy
In a world first for clean energy, researchers in Scotland have generated hydrogen using electricity from tidal arrays. The first ever ‘tidal hydrogen' was generated at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney at the end of August and announced by the centre Read More...