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.
London to spend £18m on preparing the city for new electric black cabs
Transport for London is spending £18m on upgrading the capital’s power grids to charge the first generation of battery-powered black cabs. From 1 January 2018, all new black cabs will have to be battery-powered electric models by law as part of TfL’s effort to reduce toxic Read More...
New cycling system helps Dutch riders beat red lights
The Dutch love their biking culture so much that they’re pioneering a new system that will help riders beat red lights. The system, called Flo, uses speed cameras placed 100 meters before each set of traffic lights to calculate whether or not the cyclist should change speed to hit the green Read More...
The founder of Wikipedia is bringing a fact-based mentality back to journalism
Fake news is an online virus of deliberately misleading information masqueraded as legitimate news. To put an end to it, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales is launching a community-driven online news service that will bring the fact-based, fact-checking mentality of Wikipedia to the news. The project, Read More...
Uber plans to test flying cars within three years
Uber Technologies Inc. on Tuesday detailed ambitious plans to take to the skies with flying cars, as the ride-hailing company is reeling from a series of controversies including a lawsuit that could impede its crucial self-driving vehicle initiative. At a conference in Dallas, far from the San Read More...
You can finally ride in Google’s self-driving car
After nearly a decade of working on self-driving cars in private, Google is finally ready to take the public for a ride. Its autonomous spin-off, Waymo is adding 500 modified Chrysler Pacifica minivans to the 100 it already has on the roads of Phoenix, Arizona, and has invited locals to sign up for Read More...
Today’s energy jobs are in solar, not coal
President Trump has promised to revive the coal industry and double down on fossil fuels, creating “so many energy jobs,” but he has so far ignored the increasingly important role of renewable power in America’s energy economy. Last year, the solar industry employed many more Read More...
The solar-powered TrashPresso converts trash into tiles
Isolated communities often lack the infrastructure needed to easily dispose of trash. That’s why a design company has created the TrashPresso, a semi-portable, solar-powered plant that turns trash into tiles. The Trashpresso fits inside a 40ft container that can be trucked around to remote Read More...
Mercedes-Benz wants to build the home energy system of the future
Tesla isn’t the only company keen on getting their batteries into family homes. Mercedes-Benz Energy has also developed advanced energy storage systems that will soon be finding their way into homes in the U.K. Using lithium-ion cells, the batteries can be used to store energy generated by home Read More...
Larry Page's flying car will be available to buy before the end of the year
Kitty Hawk, the mysterious flying car startup backed by Alphabet CEO Larry Page, has finally launched and its first vehicle will be available by the end of this year. Kitty Hawk president Sebastian Thrun, who helped create Google's self-driving car, today tweeted a link to Kitty Hawk's website Read More...
In-flight, on-demand hydrogen production could mean 'greener' aircraft
Science News from research organizations Source: American Technion Society Summary: Technion researchers have developed a safe and efficient way to produce hydrogen on board a plane in flight. Using aluminum particles and water (fresh or waste), the technology could one day help meet in-flight Read More...