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.
Wind, solar, energy efficiency replaces coal generation in UK
Wind, solar and energy efficiency have replaced the vast majority of power previously provided by the UK’s coal fleet, a new analysis shows. Since the start of the coalition government in 2010, coal’s role in the generation mix has fallen to historic lows, culminating in the Read More...
Oil giants need to invest heavily in renewables by 2035, says analysis
More than a fifth of investment by the largest oil and gas companies could be in wind and solar power in just over a decade, according to analysis of how global changes in energy will reshape the sector. Slowing demand for oil and forecasts of rapid growth in renewables posed both a threat and and Read More...
Google shows your neighbor has solar panels: What do you do?
What makes people decide to put solar panels on their roof? Surveys show it’s not their age, their race, their level of income, or their political affiliation. The determining factor is whether their neighbors did it first. Now Google is putting this finding into practice. Next week the Read More...
Necessity is the mother of invention: the bike is celebrating its 200th birthday
This week, 200 years ago, Karl von Drais rode his Laufsmaschine for the first time. The German baron rode his two-wheeled invention, a bicycle without pedals, five miles from the center of Mannheim and back in less than an hour—much faster than a horse. And that was the point. At the time the Read More...
A comeback for the electricity technology once championed by Thomas Edison
More than 100 years ago scientists and business leaders feuded over the incipient U.S. electrical grid: Should it rely on alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC)? Both are used to transmit electricity—DC flows steadily in one direction, whereas AC varies direction periodically. Thomas Read More...
Solar farms are helping rural Chinese farmers get out of poverty
The harsh climate of the grasslands in China have long made it difficult for villagers to plant or herd anything. Now, thanks to new solar farms and greenhouses, residents are able to harvest light and grow crops. The abundance of sunlight produces an abundance of energy, allowing the residents to Read More...
Jaguar Land Rover invests $25 million in Lyft to help develop self-driving cars
Britain's biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover said its mobility services business, InMotion Ventures, would invest $25 million in U.S. ride services company Lyft Inc to help develop and test technology for self-driving cars. The auto industry and technology companies are racing to develop Read More...
Solar energy will soon be cheaper than any other energy source
Protecting coal jobs today makes as much sense as protecting typing pool jobs around the time personal computers caught on in the 1980s. Solar technology will destroy coal and oil as energy sources even if President Donald Trump stamps his feet, holds his breath and refuses to play with the rest of Read More...
The home of The Optimist Daily joins the clean energy revolution
We are proud to announce that the home town of The Optimist Daily team has joined the clean energy revolution: Santa Barbara, California, has become the 30th city in the U.S. to commit to transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy by Read More...
Renewable energy provides half of British electricity for the first time
This week the National Grid in the United Kingdom reported that renewable sources of energy were generating more electricity than coal and gas for the first time. Power from wind, solar, hydro and wood pellet burning supplied 50.7 percent of British energy. A tenth of the U.K.'s power was coming Read More...