BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM For most of human history, the kiwiberry was valued for its flowers while the fruit was just an afterthought. These days, that seems almost hard to believe, given what scientists are finding. But the kiwiberry spent centuries being grown as an ornamental vine, appreciated for its looks rather than…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In California’s Sierra Nevada, giant sequoias have stood for millennia. The largest trees top 300 feet, live past 3,000 years, and are among the biggest living things on Earth by mass. Now, clones of specific ancient trees are being planted in Detroit. Volunteers with Archangel Ancient Tree Archive and…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM If you have ever lost an hour to a video feed you never meant to open, you understand what Brazil just decided to make illegal for children. The Digital Statute of Children and Adolescents took effect in Brazil last week, and what makes it different from most online safety…
Montréal AI research institute Mila is partnering with Mozilla, the maker of the Firefox web browser, to research and develop open-source AI tools. “We are working to build a future where AI development is rooted in openness, privacy, and humanity.” The two organizations announced the strategic partnership on Thursday. It aims to reduce dependence on…
Sentinel R&D co-founder and CEO Kath Intson thinks that Canada’s definition of sovereignty needs more precision. On stage at CIX Summit Wednesday morning in Toronto, the defence technology entrepreneur argued that the country is “starting to get real wishy-washy” with how it defines sovereignty amid the defence gold rush. “It’s not enough to just onshore…
San Francisco-based real estate tech firm Opendoor, led by former Shopify executive Kaz Nejatian, plans to grow its team with more Canadian talent, despite no immediate plans to operate in the Canadian market. “Toronto is the single greatest source of raw, high-talent people in the world across almost every discipline.” Nejatian confirmed to BetaKit that…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The International Energy Agency has already done something it has never done before: ordered the largest release of government oil reserves in its history. Now it is turning to the demand side… and asking a lot of people to make some small changes quickly. Why the Iran disruption is…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM If your spring allergies feel worse than they did five years ago, there is a reason for that, and it is not you getting older or more sensitive. A study published in 2021 found that pollen season now starts 20 days earlier than it did in 1990 and produces…
Wealthsimple has received initial approval to enter prediction markets, a controversial form of futures trading that has earned multi-billion dollar valuations for US firms like Kalshi and Polymarket. First reported by The Globe and Mail, the Toronto-based FinTech company has been approved by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) to offer “futures and forecast contracts…
The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) has announced its latest funding call with a $9-million open competition designed to support agricultural innovation. “If we are to safeguard our domestic food supply, we must support the development and adoption of innovation that will make Canada’s farms and ranches more productive, profitable and sustainable.” Darrell…
