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.
Why new coal? Solar towers + storage beats it on all counts
The US-based developers of the world’s leading solar tower and storage technologies has expressed surprise that Australia’s federal government is pursuing “new coal” plants, saying that solar towers with storage beats coal on just about all fronts. Tom Georgis, the head of Read More...
Can a mouse meditate? Why these researchers want to find out
Can a mouse meditate? A new study suggests the answer is ... kind of. Researchers from the University of Oregon in Eugene have replicated some of the same brain patterns exhibited by human meditators in the brains of mice — no tiny meditation cushions or squeaky “oms” required. Still, Read More...
India is set for solar success in 2017
2017 looks like it might be the best year ever for solar adoption. Initiatives are set to pick up speed around the world, including in China. Of all the nations with big plans, though, India just might have the biggest. India expects to commission 7.7 gigawatts of utility-scale solar projects this Read More...
From a hybrid microgrid in Tasmania to neighborhood batteries in Denver
A model hybrid microgrid in Tasmania is scheduled to begin operating this quarter, according to Electro Power Systems, which developed the project with Toshiba for Hydro Tasmania. The 3-MW, solar plus storage microgrid is part of the ‘Flinders Island Hybrid Energy Hub,’ designed to wean Read More...
A startup has a grand vision to make hydrogen trucks a reality by 2020
The hydrogen-powered-vehicle industry is still a nascent field that has yet to show real signs of going mainstream. Yet, major automakers are exploring the technology because it gives vehicles shorter re-fill times and longer ranges than plug-in electric vehicles. General Motors and Honda, for Read More...
Texas has become the unlikely champion of wind energy in America
The most Republican-dominated, oil-rich and fracking-friendly of the U.S. has found itself with the improbable status of being a national leader of wind energy. That’s right, Texas has by far the greatest wind generating capacity in the entire U.S., producing enough electricity to power 5.7 Read More...
Learning to market digital trust could be the economic boom Africa needs
In a world where information drives the global economy, powerful countries and companies have become so paranoid about protecting data that they are constantly in search of better ways to safeguard it. Some have chosen to move their data to different centers around the world, but even this can pose Read More...
The Uber effect on electricity
Leon Trotsky said, "You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you." The same thing might be said about disruptive technologies. The U.S. electric system, for example, may not be interested in disruptive technology, but disruptive technology is interested in it. What Uber and Lyft Read More...
Ultrafast camera to improve vision of self-driving cars and drones
To avoid accidents, self-driving cars and drones need to be able to quickly take in their surroundings even in extreme road conditions and bad weather, but conventional optical cameras aren't quite up to the job. To improve the vision of such vehicles, a team of engineers at the Nanyang Read More...
We need slow science to sow the seeds of future prosperity
A scientist's work is never done. They build on the work of others, and leave their own work for others to build on. Scientific progress is a bit like a tree with deepening roots and growing branches – which sometimes take a long time to bear fruit. Consider “bootstrap” research, Read More...