The document discusses the new features introduced in Java 8 including lambda expressions, method references, streams, default methods, the new date and time API, and the Nashorn JavaScript engine. Lambda expressions allow eliminating anonymous classes and nested functions. Method references provide a simpler way to refer to existing methods. Streams enable parallel processing of data. Default methods allow adding new methods to interfaces without breaking existing code. The date and time API improves on the previous APIs by making it thread-safe and more intuitive. The Nashorn engine allows embedding JavaScript in Java applications.