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.
Insect-eye inspired solar cells could pave the way to cheaper energy
When it comes to converting sunlight into electricity, the photovoltaic mineral perovskite is just as efficient as silicon and costs just a fraction of the price. The only problem is perovskites are fragile and can deteriorate easily when exposed to the elements. By mimicking a hexagon-shaped resin Read More...
Scotland to ban all petrol and diesel vehicles
The Scottish government aims to phase out new petrol and diesel cars and vans across Scotland by 2032, eight years ahead of the UK Government target. Nicola Sturgeon outlined plans to "massively expand" electric charging points and set up Read More...
Robotic kelp farms promise a competitive, abundant source of carbon neutral fuel
Kelp can be harvested in the ocean and turned into carbon-neutral biofuel. Because kelp can grow more than a foot a day and is easy to process, the production can be cost-competitive with fossil fuels. A startup is using elevators to grow kelp farther out in ocean waters. The technology is Read More...
Taxify provides cheaper, more driver-friendly alternative to Uber in London
It’s hard to overstate the success of Uber in London. In just a few years, it’s turned the iconic black hackney cab, which once roamed London’s streets unopposed, into a near-threatened Read More...
California wants to change the law and only allow renewable energy on grid
California lawmakers are considering passing a law that would ensure that eventually only clean energy moves through the state’s electricity grid, a goal nearly unmatched anywhere in the world. The proposal would accelerate the adoption of renewable energy by requiring utilities to obtain 60 Read More...
Renewable energy on track to exceed expectations, again
This graph shows clearly that solar and wind energy have been consistently underestimated year after year (the red line in the picture). The leading energy institution in the world, the International Energy Association (IEA) in Vienna (black lines) has been wrong for 20 years. Greenpeace (green Read More...
BMW just unveiled an electric Mini concept
It's official: BMW will sell an all-electric Mini in 2019. BMW just gave us a glimpse of what's to come with its design concept, which will make its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show that opens to the public on September Read More...
China is making high-tech electronics from autumn leaves
Nature uses many different ways to create or distribute energy and to produce food. Close observation of nature can bring a clean sustainable society much closer much sooner. Here’s a good example: Northern China's roadsides are peppered with phoenix trees that produce an abundance of fallen Read More...
The neighborhood of the future is made from homes that are power plants
It the not so distant future your home, every home (and every car!), will be a power station. Connected homes will replace power plants and create autonomous energy-producing neighborhoods. Here’s a story about an experimental neighborhood in the U.K. that is showing what that new reality is Read More...
Solar power to rival nuclear by end of 2017
According to a recent report by GTM Research, solar power capacity not only continues to surge worldwide, but will rival the amount of nuclear power generated across the globe by the end of this year. And by 2022, says GTM’s Stephen Lacey, the Read More...