Today’s Solutions: October 13, 2024

Industrial torching of steel billets

New steelmaking method could cut industry's gigantic CO2 footprint

The steel industry emits 3 billion tons of CO2 every year. That’s about three times the carbon footprint of the airline industry. A startup called Helios wants to cut this industrial behemoth’s impact on the environment. A cheaper steelmaking process When it comes to steel, its large carbon Read More...

Floating ants looks like raft in flood time.

Floating ants may inspire the future of robotics and adaptive materials

Ants are extremely adaptable creatures. The little critters are one of the strongest animals in relation to their size, being able to carry 50 times their own body weight. They are also the longest living insect, with some species living for around 30 years. However, the teamwork these tiny animals Read More...

Cleaning white sneaker with purple cloth.

How to make your sneakers last as long as possible

Being a sustainable fashionista doesn’t mean simply buying clothes that will last long. It also means taking caring care of the clothes you have to ensure their longevity. With this in mind, let’s take a look at how to take care of your sneakers so that they last as long as possible. Wipe them Read More...

Water droplets on Lotus leaf, the inspiration for RepelWrap, a novel repellent material

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...

A sample of the new 2D polymer material 2DPA-1, as well as some of its potential applications

Scientists create ultra-thin material that’s two times stronger than steel

Polymers, such as plastics, are made up of chains of units called monomers. Although these chains are one-dimensional, they can be shaped into three-dimensional objects through manufacturing methods like injection molding. With that said, polymer scientists have long tried to grow polymers into Read More...

Torn pieces of textiles floating in the air

Designers turn unrecyclable clothes into high-quality textiles

One of the biggest environmental concerns regarding textiles is that most of them are difficult to recycle once they reach the end of their use. This is because these materials typically contain a variety of types of fibers, quality levels, and colors, which makes sorting difficult on an industrial Read More...

Single pearl in mollusk shell.

The secret symmetry of pearls revealed

Pearls are created when an irritant, such as a grain of sand or debris, gets trapped inside a mollusk. As protection, a smooth layer of mineral and protein called nacre forms around it. Humans have been fascinated by these iridescent beauties since we first discovered them thousands of years ago. Read More...

These sleek pieces of furnitur

These sleek pieces of furniture are mainly made from seagrass

From capturing greenhouse gases to removing plastic waste from our oceans, seagrass has proved itself an invaluable ally in our fight against some of today’s most pressing environmental concerns. Now, the underwater plant is making its way into furniture design in a bid to enhance the Read More...

This paper is partly made from

This paper is partly made from grass to reduce its environmental footprint

Following an increasing number of people turning away from single-use plastic packaging, the market for paper packaging has seen a boom in recent years. More demand for paper, however, means more logging, some of which still happens in old-growth forests, which are major absorbers of CO2 and Read More...

This breakthrough material cou

This breakthrough material could help prevent our devices from overheating

Preventing our electronic devices from overheating is a major challenge for manufacturers. Currently, the way they control that is by using materials that either conduct or insulate heat. That, however, is becoming increasingly difficult as electronics continue to shrink, leaving much less room for Read More...