New Zealand has moved to tackle high rates of mental illness amongst its prison population with a brand new facility outside Auckland. The detention centre for high- and maximum-security males is swinging the pendulum back from punishment towards rehabilitation. It places emphasis on time spent outdoors in meditation, yoga, and gardens that the inmates will tend. It?s modelled on prisons in Scandinavia, Belgium and Germany. http://www.inkl.com/glance/news/yoga-herbs-and-sunshine-new-zealand-opens-humane-jail-for-most-violent-inmates?

Australian scientists have discovered a new type of anti-cancer drug that can put cancer cells into a permanent sleep, without the harmful side-effects caused by conventional cancer therapies. By targeting specific proteins researchers have been able to develop a small molecule that inhibits their activity. The process can stop tumour growth and spread without damaging the cells? DNA. . Conventional cancer therapies (like chemotherapy and radiotherapy) cause irreversible DNA damage as they target both cancer cells and healthy cells. The DNA damage can result in short-term and long-term side effects such as nausea, fatigue, hair loss and susceptibility to infection, as well as infertility and increased risk of other cancers developing. This new class of anti-cancer drugs simply puts the cancer cells into a permanent sleep.  

Reward-based crowdfunding can be used by early stage startups to test their minimum viable product and validate their idea. It's?a

Cement, the essential ingredient of concrete, is responsible for 7% of global man-made greenhouse emissions. A Canadian startup has invented a new system for making concrete that traps CO2 emissions forever and at the same time reduces the need for cement. CarbonCure's system takes captured CO2 and injects it into concrete as it's being mixed. Once the concrete hardens, that carbon is sequestered forever. Even if the building is torn down, the carbon stays put. That's because it reacts with the concrete and becomes a mineral. https://money.cnn.com/2018/06/12/technology/concrete-carboncure/index.html?

Research studies have shown that virtual reality (VR) can help people with mental health disorders. However, this is the first trial to show that a VR treatment can produce the desired results without the help of a trained (and potentially costly) human therapist. https://futurism.com/vr-treatment-mental-health-disorders/

A robot waiter approaches your table at the Robot Magic Restaurant in Shanghai however that is as far as it goes. After diners take photos and videos, regular waiters step in to serve the food. The restaurant is embracing tech for tech?s sake. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/21/technology/china-future-robot-waiters.html?