WHAT IN THE WORLD

BILLION DOLLAR AVOCADOS

NEW ZEALAND

Plant physiologist Nick Gould got sick of being told that New Zealand is too wet and cold for the avocado, first grown in Mexico. Gould has partnered with Plant & Food Research to solve some of the problems that arise with growing avocados, such as controlling pests and diseases. The science-led change aims to create the perfect avocado in New Zealand that will make it successfully to people’s toast without perishing. The industry has its sights set on generating $NZ1 billion in revenue by 2040.—NZ Herald

SHAPE-SHIFTING ROBOTS

AUSTRALIA

Engineering graduates from UNSW have helped create a material made from tiny soft artificial "muscles"— long silicon tubes filled with fluids. The team said the new smart textile could be used as compression garments for athletes or people with walking disabilities. It could also be used to make shape-shifting robots to help get people out of confined spaces.—UNSW

FIRST ALBINO TORTOISE

SWITZERLAND

A rare albino Galapagos tortoise made its public debut at a zoo in Switzerland. The tiny white-skinnedand-shelled reptile weighed only 50 grams but will grow to be an enormous 100–200 kilograms. She was born alongside another tortoise that was black, like its parents. This is the first case of an albino Galapagos tortoise in the wild or captivity, making her truly one-of-akind.—Good News Hub

TAXI GARDEN BEDS

THAILAND

Thailand’s tough Covid-19 restrictions has left the city’s busy streets much quieter with some taxi drivers still out of work. Due to increasingly difficult working conditions, many drivers returned to their villages, leaving a graveyard of taxis behind. Locals came together to make garden plots on the taxi roofs. The produce grown is given to out-of-work drivers and sold at markets.—BBC News

5 BOOSTERS MENTAL HEALTH

LESS IS MORE

We think more stuff will make us happier. But materialistic values actually correlate with a worse experience of life. Studies show if you overvalue money and possessions, your happiness will decrease. Activities that make us happier include spending time with family, a sense of accomplishment or helping others.

FIND YOUR TRIBE

Evidence suggests that happiness is harder to obtain in countries with more individualistic cultures. Feeling lonely can cause cortisol levels (the hormone linked to stress) to rise as much as in a physical attack. As Johann Hari, author of Lost Connections, said, “Humans need tribes as much as bees need a hive."

GET OUTSIDE

In general, all humans feel better when out in nature. But for people with depression, that effect is up to five times greater—even after a short walk. One experiment in a prison showed that prisoners in cells that had a view of nature were 24 per cent less likely to need medical care than prisoners without a view.

WORK WELL

Doing work that matters, which is aligned with your values and passions, is a major source of happiness. When one’s work is enriching, life is fuller and more energising and that spills over into life outside work. When work is draining, monotonous or disempowering, that will also reflect in other areas of life.

BE HAPPY FOR OTHERS

Sympathetic joy is the cultivation of feeling happy for other people. When we have constant feelings of envy or resentment towards people, we are likely to experience sadness or depression because our self-evaluation is based on distorted comparisons. Studies show people who reduced their time on social media, prayed or used cognitive behavioural therapy were able to reduce negative feelings towards others which significantly benefited their relationships and their own mental health.