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.
In Brooklyn you can buy solar power from your neighbor's roof
In Brooklyn, you can buy solar power right off your neighbor's roof. A startup is revolutionizing the way homeowners buy and sell electricity. They are making it possible to auction rooftop solar power directly to your neighbors, creating a market for home-grown clean energy. Here’s why this Read More...
Russian internet giant Yandex shows off its self-driving car
When Russia's Yandex revealed that it, too, was working on self-driving cars, it was hard not to be a bit skeptical. Wouldn't it be well behind American counterparts with a year-long head start, like Waymo? Clearly, it's making up for lost time: Yandex (or specifically, its on-demand service Read More...
Self-driving taxis could be 10 times cheaper than owning a car by 2030
A new report predicts that self-driving cars will make ride-hailing so cheap that it will transform the automobile market. By 2030, the report predicts, 95 percent of passenger miles traveled in the U.S. could be happening in on-demand, autonomous electric cars owned by fleets rather than Read More...
New global solar capacity could surpass 2016 record this year
New global solar capacity will continue to grow this year, after lower costs drove it to record levels in 2016, and could surpass 80 gigawatts (GW), Europe's solar industry forecast on Tuesday. Solar photovoltaic (PV) module prices have fallen 80 percent since 2009 as capacity has risen and Read More...
Renewables grow to 17 percent of electricity mix as sector calls for certainty
Renewable energy comprised 17% of Australia’s electricity generation in 2016, up from 14% the year before, but the industry is warning it needs policy certainty and support beyond 2020 if the growth trend is to continue. A new report by the Clean Energy Council says 2016 was a year of Read More...
Autonomous car testing costs could be cut 99 percent with new method
Autonomous car technology is the Holy Grail for auto manufacturers today. Elon Musk claims self-driving cars will be as common as self-service elevators in the very near future. But first, the systems used to allow cars to drive themselves need to be validated. Currently, that means collecting data Read More...
Abu Dhabi closes financing, world's largest solar plant operational in 2019
The largest solar power plant in the world will become operational in 2019 after Abu Dhabi's government-owned power utility has closed a $872 million financing package. We reported before that this 1,777 megawatt plant is also the cheapest solar energy facility on record with a 2.42 cents per Read More...
The key to the future of energy may lie on a tiny island off Singapore
How to store clean, renewable energy? That’s a big question for the future of energy. Many initiatives, like Tesla’s powerwall, see the solution in batteries. But that’s not the cleanest and most sustainable option. The hydrogen fuel cell possibly presents a better alternative. That’s what Read More...
This new cheap method of generating hydrogen could make fuel cell cars feasible
If you want to buy an electric car in the U.S., there are more than a dozen options. If you want to buy a fuel cell car, there are three: the Honda Clarity, the Toyota Mirai, and the Hyundai ix35. But more are coming–and a new discovery in the lab might help the market expand faster. Fuel Read More...
In France, one of Europe's most powerful solar farms marries innovation, scale
Over several decades, France has come to rely heavily on nuclear power. According to the World Nuclear Association, around 75 percent of the country's electricity comes from nuclear. The country is undergoing something of an energy transition, however. In 2015, France introduced an "energy Read More...