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.
India cancels plans for huge coal power stations as solar energy prices hit record low
India has cancelled plans to build nearly 14 gigawatts of coal-fired power stations – about the same as the total amount in the UK – with the price for solar electricity “free falling” to levels once considered impossible. Analyst Tim Buckley said the shift away from the Read More...
Tesla Model 3 is coming—and it has no key and no instruments
The first Tesla Model 3 cars will be delivered to customers in the coming week. It’s the beginning of fulfilling 500,000 pre-orders and of what Elon Musk has called “six months of manufacturing hell”. Much of the car remains a mystery but the first details are coming Read More...
Alphabet works on energy storage system based on salt
Alphabet, Google’s mother company, works on a new storage system for renewable energy that would be better than lithium-ion batteries that require rare earth metals and is thus not entirely sustainable. The Alphabet system involves vats of salt and antifreeze. It can be located almost anywhere, Read More...
Will you need a driving license in the age of self-driving cars?
Driverless vehicles may seem unfamiliar now, but over the coming years you'll start to encounter - or even use them - on a daily basis. Will it mean the end of the driving licence and changes to the rules of the road? It's not uncommon to see a squat white droid trundling along the streets of Read More...
This city’s subway system will soon run mostly on renewable energy
This city’s sleek, European-made subway cars, riding on rubber tires that barely make a noise on the steel rails, carry 2.4 million passengers a day during the week in a metro system considered South America’s most modern. Now it has another distinction: It is about to become one of the Read More...
How electric vehicles could take a bite out of the oil market
When will cars powered by gas-guzzling internal combustion engines become obsolete? Not as soon as it seems, even with the latest automotive news out of Europe. First, Volvo announced it would begin to phase out the production of cars that run solely on gasoline or diesel by 2019 by only releasing Read More...
Shell sees the end of oil and CEO’s next car will be electric
The CEO of Royal Dutch Shell last week delivered the clearest indication yet that the electric car revolution is hastening the decline of global oil demand and that clean renewable energy is taking over. “When that will be is not certain. But that it will happen, we are certain,” he told Read More...
3D metal printing is taking off and it will revolutionize manufacturing
It’s hard to underestimate the impact 3D printing will have on manufacturing. For more than a century, making things meant building factories. And different things often meant different factories. 3D printing will change that and one company is making a huge step with a fully-automated, Read More...
Global funding for battery storage, smart grids tops $1 billion first half 2017
The total global funding raised during the first half of the year for the battery storage, smart grid, and energy efficiency sectors topped $1 billion, a 25% increase over the same time a year ago, according to new figures published by Mercom Capital. Mercom Capital Group, a global clean energy Read More...
World's first autonomous, all-electric cargo ship to launch next year
The world’s first crewless, autonomously operated ship is set to sail in late 2018. The Norwegian-built Yara Birkeland is being dubbed the “Tesla of the Seas” because the vessel is fully electric. The $25 million ship will initially start out as a manned vessel, moving to Read More...