Search
Total number of posts: 23665
Free, public Wi-Fi is finally making its way to Cuba
Most Cubans have never been on the Internet. The government allows Internet access only sporadically with limited bandwidth. Now, a state-supported cultural center in Havana has begun rolling out free, public Wi-Fi. The connection is slow, but it’s still better than no Read More...
Scientists transmit wireless power; clean energy from space step closer
In space, there are no cycles of day and night or clouds, making it the perfect place for 24-hour solar energy generation. But how do get the electricity down to earth? Scientists of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) have succeeded in transmitting electricity through microwaves. They Read More...
Solar-powered, recycled, floating home
Rising sea-levels may lead to many more people living in floating homes. Italian architect Giancarlo Zema shows that doesn’t have to be a punishment with this stunning design. The 1,000 square foot Waternest 100 is made from recycled timber and a recycled aluminum hull. The solar paneled roof Read More...
Breaking Monsanto: Saving the earth with environmentally friendly pesticides--mushrooms
This story is not new, but some stories need to be told as often as possible. Pesticides destroy the environment and our health. But they are still very much in use, because companies—like Monsanto—make billions selling them. Unhealthy business. However we don’t need chemicals to Read More...
African migrant workers use bitcoin to send money home
When migrant workers send money home to relatives in Africa, they typically pay 12.3 percent to money transmitters. It’s a big business. Overseas Development Institute estimates the total annual fees paid to money transmitters to be $1.4 billion. These businesses have now found a competitor in Read More...
Self-cleaning paint makes soap superfluous
Imagine washing your car only with a hose without any soap or scrubbing the dirt off. A research team at the University College of London has developed a water-repelling paint. The active ingredient in the paint is coated titanium dioxide nanoparticles. These cause liquid to bead up and roll off Read More...
Robots are cleaning up Fukushima power plant
Four years after a tsunami caused hit the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the area is still not considered safe for humans. Thankfully, robots don’t mind a little radiation exposure. That’s why the clean-up of toxic waste and contaminated debris is now being carried out by specially designed Read More...
Farming for dummies: Grow your lettuce in a recycled container
Are you worried about food supplies? Or do you want to save money by growing your own food? Now you can start a farm in your parking lot. Just rent a farm in a box, a CropBox. In this recycled shipping container you can grow as much lettuce as on an acre of land. You don’t need to spend Read More...
Bitcoins: Goldman Sachs sees the writing on the wall
Why would we write about a boring report by a bank in The Optimist Daily? Because the report is on bitcoins and the bank is Goldman Sachs, an important pillar of modern finance. “Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are part of a technology ‘megatrend’ that could change the fundamental mechanics of Read More...
Doctors who lie help patients heal faster and live longer
Research has shown it time and again: Fake medicine works on the body because the mind believes it’s working. That’s the famous placebo effect. Now scientists are discovering that a doctor’s words also affect our biology. When doctors convey bad news—“you’ve only so many months to Read More...