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.
The “virtual power plant” seeks to link together networks of energy-efficient buildings, solar installations, and batteries to help utilities reduce energy demand at peak hours and supply targeted areas with clean energy. We wrote about the “virtual power plant” of Los Angeles last week, Read More...
Nissan Motor Co. revealed a revolutionary new prototype vehicle this week — the world’s first Solid Oxide Fuel-Cell (SOFC)-powered prototype vehicle. The car runs on bio-ethanol electric power and can rely on multiple fuels in order to produce high-efficiency electricity, including Read More...
Electrifying fuel guzzling heavy-duty trucks could cut costs and carbon emissions—in theory, at least. by Michael Reilly August 4, 2016 While we wait and see whether electric cars will take over the roads, there’s a new vehicle up for an electric makeover: the garbage truck. Read More...
Public electric vehicle (EV) charge points will outnumber petrol stations in the UK by the end of the decade, marking a potential tipping point in the adoption of zero emission vehicles. That is the conclusion of a new analysis by auto giant and EV manufacturer Nissan, which argues that based on Read More...
Coober Pedy is the epitome of the Australian mining town. Located in the South Australian outback, it is as famous for its opals as it is for the extraordinary underground housing that has become a feature of its way of life. Now the township of 3,500 people may be about to make a name for itself Read More...
Photosynthesis – turning the sun’s energy into food for plants – is the biological system that feeds the world. But despite its awesome power, the process is extremely inefficient. We can’t really blame plants for this because photosynthesis evolved for ancient earth’s Read More...
In Los Angeles, utility companies aren’t solely relying on fossil fuels to feed the city’s hunger for energy. Instead, they are turning to “virtual power plants”: sprawling networks of independent batteries, solar panels, and energy-efficient buildings that are tied together and remotely Read More...
Nassau, New York, a town of 5,000 people just outside of Albany, New York, plans to disconnect from the electrical grid. Last week, the town board voted to get 100 percent of its power from renewables by 2020. The town is making the move both as a way to "increase its reliance on renewable sources Read More...
Opponents of wind farms have long argued that the sight of turbines on the horizon damages tourism. If this sounds like nonsense, that’s because it is, according to a new study. This argument has actually succeeded in halting the construction of wind farms in the past, but a new study finds that Read More...
Energy storage could replace peak gas in our electricity network. That’s the finding of a study that my colleagues and I recently published in the Journal of Applied Energy. Energy storage is often considered the holy grail of the electricity sector. Tesla’s Powerwall home battery Read More...