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!
Book Excerpt: ‘The Sleep Fix: Practical, Proven, and Surprising Solutions for Insomnia, Snoring, Shift Work, and More’
“Sometimes finding just one place to start, one thread to pull on, can shift the momentum in the other direction—sleep improvement leads to more sleep improvement.” -Diane Macedo In today’s Optimist View, we’re delighted to share an excerpt from ‘The Sleep Fix,’ the newest book from Read More...
Doctors transplant pig's heart into human patient for the first time ever
A remarkable milestone in medicine was reached by doctors in Maryland who have successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig’s heart into a human patient in a do-or-die situation. David Bennet, a 57-year-old handyman, was the recipient of this life-saving operation. He knew that the Read More...
The human library lets people break down prejudice through conversation
Libraries are great resources for learning and these days when you visit a library, your options aren’t limited to printed text — you can borrow movies, audiobooks… and even humans. That’s right, the concept of borrowing an actual human being to talk to about a plethora of topics is on Read More...
8 Trends from 2021 We’ll Carry to the New Year
“Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” - Hal Borland It’s the time of year for reflections and projections as we take stock of all that has happened over the last twelve months and peer with hopeful curiosity Read More...
“Regenerative Meat” — The meaning behind a new food label
If you’ve shopped for meat lately, you might have noticed that some packaging is sporting a new label: “regenerative meat.” Just like “grass-fed” or “antibiotic-free,” this sounds good, but what exactly does it mean, and what qualifications must a farm achieve to label its products as Read More...
The Optimist View: An Ode to Laughter
Among those whom I like or admire, I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can: all of them make me laugh. — W. H. Auden Throughout the long trials of Covid-19, one of the main things that has linked humans together and always improves a situation, no matter how dire, Read More...
Sustainable Building in a Changing Climate
“Our house is still on fire. Your inaction is fueling the flames by the hour.” – Greta Thunberg Our house is on fire, so how do we build in the face of disaster? Climate change is both an immediate and impending crisis: Under current conditions, we’re bound for 1000-year floods and Read More...
Turin transforms abandoned tramway into an attractive community park
Here at The Optimist Daily, we are big fans of sustainable urban development projects that put community front center. The creation of the Precollinear Park in Turin, Italy, is exactly this type of project. The park came about as the result of a placemaking initiative by nonprofit Torino Read More...
Birdwatchers in Singapore awestruck by sighting of once extinct bird
Bird enthusiasts, rejoice! A rare sighting of the once extinct green broadbill bird in Singapore has created a stir among bird watchers, who have flocked to the offshore isle of Pulau Ubin to see the emerald green creature. The bird, which gets its name for its highlighter-green plumage, was Read More...
This UK city is making its urban space greener with bee-friendly bus stops
About two years ago, we wrote about an amazing bee-friendly initiative in the Dutch city of Utrecht. Looking to make its urban space as accommodating as possible to pollinators, the fourth largest city in the Netherlands decided to adorn hundreds of its bus stops with green rooftops — thus Read More...