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.
4 reasons why low oil prices mean it's time to shift to renewable energy
With oil prices at six-year lows, now is a tempting time for consumers to buy a bigger car, fill it up with cheaper gas and hit the road. The smarter move is to use this moment to accelerate the shift to renewable energy. While increased U.S. oil production has delivered short-term economic Read More...
Bhutan aims to make electric cars main mode of transportation
Ahead of the U.N climate meeting set in Paris later this year, negotiators are looking at Bhutan, one of the world's poorest countries, for inspiration. The tiny Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas is implementing plans to make electric cars the main mode of transportation in order to protect the Read More...
By 2018, Dutch rail will be fully powered by wind
The Netherlands, a nation that’s been keen on harnessing the power of the wind since pretty much forever, has announced that in an effort to slash transport-related carbon emissions, its entire electric train network — all 1,800 miles of it — will run on energy produced at European wind Read More...
Dutch emissions down 5%, partly due to climate change
CBS, a Dutch government agency that gathers statistical information, reported this Tuesday that greenhouse gas emissions in the Netherlands were almost 5% lower in 2014 than they were in 2013. Meanwhile, the Dutch economy was growing at a rate of 0.9%, according to the same agency. That’s the Read More...
Study reveals 100% renewable energy in Chile can save 1500 lives a year
A new study has been launched by the Chilean Citizens' Committee on Climate Change showing that by switching to 100% renewable energy by 2050 the country could: avoid spending $5.3 billion a year on fossil fuels, save 1,500 lives a year due to reduced air-pollution in Santiago alone, and create Read More...
Indian cell tower companies eye renewable energy to cut costs
Cell tower operators in India are increasingly looking to switch to renewable energy sources to reduce their costs and increase the reliability of their power supply. One of the largest cell tower operators in India, Viom Networks, is reportedly working on reducing their consumption of diesel in an Read More...
Google's self-driving cars in Austin have removed humans entirely
Our first glimpse of Google’s driverless cars came in 2012. Since then, Google has confined most of its test-drives of these vehicles to the roads outside its headquarters in Mountain View, California, and recently expanded tests to Austin, Texas (reports of other self-driving car tests by Read More...
Green homes in New Orleans: a model for other communities
After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, a slew of nonprofits committed millions of dollars to support the construction of green homes in the city. Now, 10 years late, green building experts say the work rebuilding there can serve as a model for other communities. Energy costs are much lower and Read More...
Wireless charging for electric BMWs by 2017?
Are BMW’s electric vehicle (EV) offerings going to be set up for wireless charging in only the next few years? An interesting question — it certainly does seem that the technology is developing at a fairly rapid rate, so maybe widespread use is something that we can expect soon. What Read More...
Tesla's newest car is so good it broke Consumer Reports' rating system
The jury is out. And here's what Consumer Report, a leading source for product reviews in the US, wrote about the Tesla model S P85D: "The Tesla initially scored 103 in the Consumer Reports' Ratings system, which by definition doesn’t go past 100. The car set a new benchmark, so we had to make Read More...