This novel pathogen-repellent material is inspired by lotus leaves
Here at The Optimist Daily, we like to keep our readers informed about new innovative materials that are being developed, such as roads made from diaper pellets, ultra-strong glass inspired by mollusk shells, and even solar capture materials that can be integrated into clothing. This time, Read More...
You can contribute to science while observing nature in your backyard
From analyzing distant galaxies in order to help astronomers better understand the universe to protecting the coral reefs from climate change, there are plenty of cool ways you can contribute to science these days. And if you have been particularly attentive to the nature around you while in Read More...
Study: Covid-19 does not impact fetus brain development
A big source of anxiety during the pandemic came from the unknown impact of COVID-19 on pregnant people and their soon-to-be-born children. It has been observed that other viruses, such as HIV and rubella, can pass from mother to fetus through a process called vertical transmission. A research Read More...
To avoid stigma, Covid-19 variants will be given Greek alphabet names
Scientific names for the variants of diseases and illnesses can be complicated to say and difficult to remember, so people often fall back on distinguishing between variants based on where they were detected. This year especially, the world has seen how identifying diseases based on certain Read More...
Study suggests eating healthy makes vaccines more effective
As you may have heard, the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine in America has been slow. But if you are one of the fortunate ones to have gotten vaccinated or plan to get vaccinated soon, then you might want to read the results from a new study out of Ohio State University. In the study, Read More...
Friluftsliv: How to socialize in the cold without feeling miserable
To help people cope mentally with the idea of another winter lockdown, we shared a story a couple of months ago about the “Tromsø” mindset—a positive way of thinking about the long, dark winter that people experience in the Norwegian city of Tromsø. Today, we’re going to take another Read More...
The world’s biggest fur auction house is closing its doors
Real animal fur is becoming increasingly out-of-style within the fashion industry. More and more people are straying away from the inhumane trade, and some cities, countries, and companies have placed bans on fur in recent years. In another blow to the fur industry, the world’s largest fur Read More...
Canada reports no new deaths from Covid-19 over one-day span
Six months after most of North America went into lockdown, Canada has reported no new deaths from Covid-19 in a 24 hour period. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, over 6 million people have been tested for the virus in Canada, with 2.1 percent of tests coming back positive. And Read More...
New York goes 30 days with a virus positivity rate below 1%
At one point in April, New York State was reporting between 9,000 and 10,000 new cases of Covid-19 a day. In a clear-cut signal that progress is being made against the virus, the share of virus tests coming back positive has stayed below 1 percent for 30 straight days in New York. Even as parts of Read More...
How the retro drive-in is being reimagined in the coronavirus era
The drive-in theater: It’s a nostalgic relic of America’s past that we typically only see on screen rather in real life. At least, that was the case last year. In October 2019, there were only 305 drive-in theaters in the US—and hardly any outside America. But with the pandemic demanding us Read More...