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Science Wins

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A surprising look at how Father’s Day came to be

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Unlike Mother’s Day, which was swiftly embraced and made official in 1914, Father’s Day spent decades in limbo. Though it finally became a national holiday in 1972, the idea faced res

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Europe removed a record 602 river barriers last year

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A dam fell in Iceland last December, the first the country has ever deliberately dismantled. The structure on the River Melsá had long since stopped generating power. Sheep were livin

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California’s first eight-hour grid battery just came online

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The California grid has a timing problem. Solar runs from mid-morning through early evening. Demand peaks later. Batteries have bridged part of that gap for years, but only about four

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4 fruits that may help reduce your breast cancer risk

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM High fruit intake is associated with many wonderful health benefits, like protecting our lungs from air pollution and lowering diabetes risk. But did you know it’s also linked to a se

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How reflective roof paint is cooling homes across Africa

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The question seemed reasonable enough: what heat adaptation interventions were already working in Africa’s low-income communities? Lara Dugas, an epidemiologist, and climate scientist

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5 small habits that make every day feel more meaningful

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The feeling of not mattering, of going through a whole day without anyone really seeing you, sits closer to the surface than most people let on. Jennifer Breheny Wallace has spent yea