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Total number of posts: 23863
October 20, 2020
We're featuring some kids changing the world for good today with a middle schooler who developed a potential treatment for Covid-19 and a 5 year old who rescued an endangered lemur in San Francisco! Listen to The Optimist Daily Update with Summers & Kristy - Making Solutions the Read More...
Eighth-grader wins $25k prize for her work on a potential COVID-19 cure
Scientists working on a cure for COVID-19 have recently been delighted by the contributions of a 14-year-old girl from Frisco, Texas, who made a discovery that could provide a potential therapy to the virus. Anika Chebrolu, an eighth-grader, was recently awarded the 2020 3M Young Scientists Read More...
Successful trial of new drug brings ALS treatment closer to FDA approval
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative neurological condition, but there may soon be another treatment option for the disease as Amylyx Pharmaceuticals finishes successful phase 2 of human trials and moves into phase 3 of a new experimental drug. The new treatment, called Read More...
Upcycled shipping containers provide housing for LA’s homeless
Los Angeles County has an estimated 66,000 homeless individuals, but a new initiative is helping some find housing from an unexpected source: old shipping containers. Recycled shipping containers can be transformed into livable spaces surprisingly quickly. Each container in the seven-unit Read More...
This sleek foldable bike helmet hardens itself in case of collision
Wearing a helmet while biking can significantly help you avoid severe injuries and even death in the case of an accident. But people often refuse to wear these gadgets because they find them too bulky, heavy, or just plain uncomfortable. These are all things that the Danish-made Newton-Rider helmet Read More...
Ayurveda: 4 practices to help you develop a better relationship with food
In the Ayurvedic tradition of health and healing from India, meals are considered sacred rituals. From the food itself to the way it is prepared and cooked, the whole experience of eating is considered divine. According to Vedic teacher Acharya Shunya, one of the beautiful benefits of eating this Read More...
How gene therapy brought back this Canadian boy’s vision
An eight-year-old by the name of Sam recently became the first Canadian to be successfully treated with gene replacement therapy to cure a rare form of blindness. Sam’s condition, which is a genetic disorder known as retinitis pigmentosa, made it impossible for Sam to see the sky on a cloudy Read More...
Scientists use spinach to improve the efficiency of fuel cell technology
Thanks to its nutrient-rich profile, spinach has long been touted as a superfood worthy to be included in any diet. But this leafy green vegetable also has the potential to revolutionize fuel cell technology, according to a recent proof-of-principle experiment conducted by a team of scientists at Read More...
Local 5 year old saves kidnapped lemur in San Francisco
Last week, Maki, a 21-year-old endangered lemur, went missing from the San Francisco Zoo. As one of the slowest primates in the exhibit, Maki was easy for thieves to catch, but fortunately, the lemur has been safely returned to the zoo after the heroic work of a local five-year-old named James Read More...
The gharial: How this special creature was saved from near extinction
Though often mistaken for crocodiles or alligators, the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is its own special creature that dwells in the rivers of India and Nepal eating only fish and some crustaceans. This incredible reptile is believed to have split from all other crocodilians perhaps more than 65m Read More...