Today’s Solutions: December 19, 2025

UV lamp for sterilizing surfaces.

Simple UV-LED lights could be used to kill coronavirus and HIV

The Optimist Daily has reported on a number of inventions that use ultraviolet (UV) microorganisms' radiation as a sanitation tool, like this door handle or this mask decontamination machine. It seems lighting may be the future solution to quickly and safely zap away harmful microorganisms. A Read More...

Senior mature couple having fun with virtual reality glasses.

VR helps reduce social isolation for seniors

The pandemic has been hard on all of us, especially at-risk groups with preexisting health concerns. Senior citizens are one of these groups that have been hit the hardest, with the number of social activities and sports that they can partake in being drastically reduced. Consequently, the levels Read More...

Female Truck driver

More women take the wheel in the trucking industry

Truck driving is a steady-paying career that offers job security, and now trucking firms are trying to incentivize more hires with employee benefits amid driver shortages. It is an intense job with long hours, but the role of truckers has become more important than ever in the Pandemic and with Read More...

Girl student freelancer working at home on a task, the ginger cat is sitting on the window.

How to avoid these 3 mistakes working at home

Here at The Optimist Daily we like to provide our readers with tips and tricks to make their lives a little easier. This time, we're giving you some valuable insight about working from home. Thanks to the pandemic, people worldwide have retreated from their offices and have taken up shop in Read More...

Humbertium covidum the newly discovered hammerhead black flatworm species.

"Alien" flatworm named in honor of COVID-19 victims

How scientists decide to name new animal species they discover doesn't follow a prescribed set of rules. Some aim to go for a humorous approach like the flatworm Ramisyllis kingghidorahi which was named after Godzilla’s enemy, King Ghidorah. Some name the novel creature after a human, like the Read More...

Excited african and caucasian business team giving high five at office meeting motivated by victory, achievement or good work result, multi-ethnic employees group celebrate corporate success together.

Why it’s important to celebrate small victories in the workplace

Hopefully, we are coming out of the worst of the pandemic. This readjustment period to get ourselves back to our ordinary lives is a difficult task for everyone, especially if you have to lead this effort. Increased pressure and anxiety from external factors can inevitably leak into the workplace Read More...

Conveyor belt above heap of sawdust

Scientists use wood waste and water to create sustainable disinfectant

While the use of disinfectants has already been a regular thing for many people when cleaning their homes, the pandemic has called for unprecedented sanitization of our close surroundings.  While good at their job, some disinfectants, such as chlorine-based ones, are actually environmentally Read More...

An African doctor holding a covid 19 vaccine vial in his hands while wearing blue surgical gloves and surgical scrubs.

Pandemic spurs surge in African medical tech

Tech innovations have helped improve food resilience in countries like Rwanda and Ethiopia, but a new study indicates that health tech is also expanding rapidly across Africa, spurred by the pandemic. More than 60 new and existing private firms now offer health products to consumers and medical Read More...

Teens with a camera at the beach

Teen drug use significantly decreased during the pandemic

We will see the impacts of the pandemic on kids for years to come, but according to researchers from the University of Michigan, the pandemic did positively impact drug use among teens. According to their survey, the percentage of youth who used an illicit drug other than marijuana decreased by a Read More...

At-home covid test

US makes at-home Covid-19 tests free to all Americans

With the rise of a potentially-concerning new Covid-19 variant, omicron, and colder months ahead, the US is ramping up health measures to prevent another surge in cases this winter. The White House has recently announced that it will make all at-home rapid tests free. Under the new rules, Read More...