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The fungi on your face might be brewing the next great antibiotic
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the ongoing search for new antibiotics, researchers may have found an unlikely ally: the fungi quietly snacking on our skin oils. According to a new study led by scientists at the University of Oregon, a common yeast called Malassezia, known more for Read More...
What trees can teach us about volcanoes: a new view from space
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The next time a volcano begins to stir, the first signs might come not from smoke or rumbling earth, but from the trees nearby. According to a new NASA-Smithsonian study, trees growing near volcanoes become visibly greener as underground magma releases carbon Read More...
A new way to stack bricks could help clean Bangladesh’s air
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the cool, dry winters of Bangladesh, the country’s 8,000-plus brick kilns roar to life. Coal-fed and open-air, they bake nearly 30 million bricks annually, filling the skies with thick black smoke in the process. But a new study has found that a few Read More...
The tortilla that doesn’t need a fridge will help Mexico’s most vulnerable
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a brightly lit lab at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), food scientist Raquel Gomez peers through a microscope at microorganisms doing some heavy lifting: enriching tortillas with probiotics and preserving them for weeks without a Read More...
Sunshine guilt is real—but you don't have to feel bad about staying in
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM If you’ve ever looked out your window on a bright, beautiful day and felt a pang of guilt for staying indoors, you’re not alone. That uneasy feeling, now widely referred to as "sunshine guilt," has entered the modern lexicon, especially as social media Read More...
A jelly with a scent of hope: how a nanoparticle gel could help save coral reefs
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When the ocean gets too warm, coral reefs bleach, weaken, and sometimes die. And right now, they’re in serious trouble. Over 80 percent of the world’s reef area has experienced heat stress since early 2023, leading to what researchers are calling the Read More...
How to actually feel more positive (without faking it)
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The Optimist Daily team knows better than anyone: between the pressure to “stay positive” and the pull of doomscrolling, finding a realistic middle ground can sometimes feel impossible. We all know that relentless cheeriness isn’t the answer. Neither is Read More...
Italy extends legal recognition to same-sex mothers in major court ruling
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a landmark move bringing Italy in step with many of its European peers, the Constitutional Court has ruled that both women in a same-sex couple who conceive a child abroad via medically assisted reproduction (MAR) must be legally recognized as parents. Read More...
Breda becomes EU’s first National Park City, setting a hopeful path for greener urban living
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The Dutch city of Breda, with its cobblestone streets and centuries-old canals, has just added another charming distinction to its name: it is now the first National Park City in the European Union. Designated in May by the National Park City Foundation, Read More...
Podcast Transcript May 30, 2025: From Reproductive Rights to Small But Mighty Chia Seeds
Episode Description: In this week’s round-up, Karissa and Arielle dive into the mighty chia seed’s digestive benefits and Cadence’s push to make emergency contraception as accessible as a pack of gum. Join them as they explore real-world solutions making a difference. The Optimist Daily is Read More...