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.
Turning aluminum waste into biofuel catalyst saves money and the environment
Plenty of dirty aluminum foil ends up in landfills because recyclers don’t accept it. Now, a researcher has discovered a way to convert used aluminum foil into a biofuel catalyst. He has devised a method for obtaining pure crystals of aluminum salts from the used foil. These crystals are the Read More...
The reports of the death of the internal combustion engine are not exaggerated
In 1893, a French newspaper complained that “human inventiveness…has still not found a mechanical process to replace horses as the propulsion for vehicles”. Soon after, the automobile powered by the internal combustion engine began changing the world. But the days of the car as we know it, Read More...
Chile’s energy transformation is powered by wind, sun and volcanoes
It doesn’t hurt that Chile’s geography offers an embarrassment of riches for renewable energy. A constellation of solar fields built in the Atacama Desert in the north, one of the driest and sunniest places on Earth, has made Chile one of the most promising markets for producers of Read More...
India defies somber climate projections and has begun leaving the coal age
In climate projections India, already the third-largest carbon emitter in the world, is going to deploy coal-fired power plants on a massive scale as the country needs more electricity to feed a fast growing economy. However, the reality on the ground is different. In the last two years, coal Read More...
America’s wind energy industry is booming
The wind energy industry reached an important milestone in 2016 when it passed the generating capacity of hydroelectric power for the first time to become the nation’s top renewable generating source. Wind energy’s growth — at least in the next few years — is showing few Read More...
Elon Musk’s Boring Company is getting ready to build the first hyperloop
If you think that extensive metro networks under major metropolitan cities as New York, London, and Paris, are great systems for public transit, prepare yourself for the hyperloop. The dream of Tesla’s Elon Musk, who launched his Boring Company, is fast becoming a reality. Musk has announced that Read More...
Germans overwhelmingly want renewable energy even if they have to pay more
Germany is a leader in renewable energy in Europe. And the German population heavily supports the energy transition. A study of the country's Renewable Energies Agency (AEE) shows that 95 percent of the Germans saw the expansion of renewables as important or extremely important. Germany is in the Read More...
98-year old Hawaiian company plunges into the hydrogen future
Hydrogen cars are having a tough time breaking into the mainstream market, partly due to the lack of fueling stations. That could change soon if a new project by the Hawaii-based company Servco works out. Servco is leaving nothing to chance: It’s building Hawaii’s first public hydrogen Read More...
Paid search: Blockchain technology connects consumers and advertisers directly
Google has perfected the technology to monetize your online search. But wouldn’t it be much better if, instead of the search giant, the user would be paid directly for his/her search by the companies in whose products and services he/she is interested? That’s the concept of a new Read More...
GM is selling a $5,000 electric car in China
For that sort of price, the Baojun E100 is no Cadillac, of course. The two-seat car's wheelbase -- the distance from the center of the front wheels to the center of the rear wheels -- is just 63 inches. That's about 10 inches shorter than Daimler's ( Smart ForTwo, a car that is already remarkable Read More...