In Australia people at high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer will be offered free genetic testing. If someone has breast and ovarian cancer and has the mutations, all their relatives will be able to have the test for free. If they don't have the mutation, they can go back to normal screening. This new service is expected to significantly improve the lives of Australians, offering more choice via access to affordable screening and treatment options, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-12/breast-and-ovarian-cancer-test-free-for-high-risk-patients/9040274
In a greenhouse in Belgium, a small robot moves through rows of strawberries growing on trays suspended above the ground, using machine vision to locate ripe, flawless berries, then reaching up with a 3D-printed hand to gently pluck each berry and place it in a basket for sale. If it feels that a berry isn?t ready for harvest, the robot estimates the date it will be ready for it to return and pick it. It?s a test of a system that Octinion, the R&D company building the robot, believes could replace traditional strawberry farming and harvesting. https://www.fastcompany.com/40473583/this-strawberry-picking-robot-gently-picks-the-ripest-berries-with-its-robo-hand?
Turn a bottle into a self-watering hydroponic herb garden. By providing a way for plants to water themselves for up to a month at a time, it means you don't have to! Launching on Kickstarter May 22. Sign up here for campaign updates and early-bird discounts. www.geturbanleaf.com
UrbanYou is an online platform connecting busy people with top-quality, pre-screened independent service professionals. They offer home cleaning, handyman and garden services with a 60-second booking process, secure payment, and satisfaction guarantee, https://www.urbanyou.com.au
Neither young nor old, the vast population moving into midlife offers an extraordinary resource. Millions are determined to apply their experience to make a difference for others. As they are ageing they're looking for a new model combining elements of work, service, and social impact - an encore career that's a 2nd act for a greater good! Photo from The Intern. www.encore.org
Portugal decriminalised the use of all drugs in 2001. Possession and use of small quantities of these drugs was treated as a public health issue, not a criminal one. The drugs were still illegal but now getting caught with them meant a small fine and maybe a referral to a treatment program, not jail time and a criminal record. Drug-induced deaths have decreased steeply since then. Portugal's drug mortality rate is now the lowest in Western Europe, one-tenth the rate of Britain or Denmark, and about one-fiftieth the latest number for the U.S.https://mic.com/articles/110344/14-years-after-portugal-decriminalized-all-drugs-here-s-what-s-happening
