The Weekly Theme
Each week, we feature a new theme of solutions for those passionate about learning in-depth on how we are building a better world!
How assistive technologies are helping children with ADHD in the classroom
Like we’ve said throughout this whole week, neurodiverse people with conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have overlooked abilities that can be of great benefit to any organization or company. But in order to help people with neurological conditions unlock Read More...
The parents of dyslexic children are transforming the way schools teach reading
The reading proficiency of kids in America is shockingly low. Apparently, less than 40 percent of fourth and eighth-grade students nationwide are proficient readers—and the blame lies on flawed methods of teaching reading in our education systems where kids are taught simply the letters and the Read More...
Why having neurodiverse employees can give a company a competitive advantage
Yesterday we ran a story about how Goldman Sachs’ plans to hire job candidates on the autism spectrum as a way to boost diversity. As it turns out, doing so could also boost productivity within the company. Because neurodiverse people are wired differently from “neurotypical” people, they may Read More...
More companies across the US are hiring neurodiverse employees
At the Optimist Daily, we are proud to celebrate neurodiversity— the idea that neurological differences are to be recognized and respected as any other human variation. That’s why we are pleased to see that Goldman Sachs has become the latest company to target job candidates on the autism Read More...
Community solar projects are finally including low-income households
Although community solar projects are on the rise in America, there’s one major flaw: less than half of US community solar projects have any participation from low-income households, and of the projects that do include lower-earning families, only about 5 percent involved a sizable share above 10 Read More...
No matter how much space you have, here’s what you can plant to help bugs thrive
Habitat loss is a major factor in the decline of insect populations around the world, a trend that one group of researchers has warned could bring about the “catastrophic collapse of nature’s ecosystems.” For instance, the monarch butterfly population has fallen 99.4 percent since the Read More...
The EU has banned one of agriculture’s most-used pesticides to save the bees
Although you may not be a big fan of bugs, it’s bad news for everyone that insect populations are rapidly dwindling around the world. Insects are the foundation of nature’s ecosystems, and without them, we would run the risk of a ‘catastrophic collapse’ of those ecosystems. Still, if we Read More...
These artificial plants make sure urban insects have enough food to survive
Insects need a little love. They currently face a multitude of different threats, from pesticides and climate change to invasive species and the spread of deforestation. All of these things are taking such a toll on insect populations that as many as 40 percent of all species may be endangered in Read More...
Eating mushrooms on a daily basis can protect your brain from cognitive decline
We've already heard how the psilocybin from so-called "magic" mushrooms may help to alleviate depression. Well, a new study now suggests that a compound found in all mushrooms could also assist in warding off mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The researchers found that by consuming different Read More...
Mushrooms can break down plastic in weeks and turn it into organic material
Apart from the great abilities of fungi to remove pollutants from soil and enable the conversion of waste into biofuels, there’s yet another good reason to love the mushroom – it can break down plastic. In 2012, scientists at Yale University discovered that a mushroom strain by the name of Read More...