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It’s election this weekend in Australia, and we’re all preparing to dictate what the next three years of our lives will look like Down Under. While that’s an inherently stressful, there’s plenty of stuff out there to feel good about – and Feel-Good Friday is here to make sure you know it!
Aussie Government okays Antidepressant Nasal Spray
Depression is a shitty thing to deal with at the best of times, but having treatment-resistant depression is extra shit. Not only do you have to deal with the difficulties the disorder brings, but the usual anti-depressant medications simply fail to make a difference, and until now there hasn’t been a lot of options for new approaches.
But this week, the Australian Government okayed the use of a ketamine-derived nasal spray for use in people who’ve already tried at least two other options and haven’t responded. It’ll need to be done at a registered treatment facility alongside an oral medication, rather than at home, but should start working within minutes as its absorbed directly into the lining of the nose.
The treatment went through a clinical trial using data from more than 1,600 patients who were given either a dose of the spray or a placebo, alongside an oral antidepressant. Within weeks, the group that were given access to the actual medication felt better than those that received the placebo, and relapsed at a lower rate.
It’s a big win in the fight against depression Down Under, and we’re here for it.
20,000 Hectares Surrounding Chernobyl Declared Farmable
We’ve all heard of the catastrophic Chernobyl disaster, the fallout of which left a vast part of what is now Ukraine both uninhabitable and not longer arable. Essentially, thousands of hectares of land was left to recover as radiation levels slowly dropped and the countryside recovered form one of the worst nuclear events of our world.
Well, a recent trip to the abandoned Chernobyl exclusion zone by a group of scientists from the UK and Ukraine found that, actually, parts of the land have recovered quite a bit already.
In fact, these scientists now believe that up to 20,000Ha could be reclaimed for farming. Certain crops would be off limits, such as beans and peas, as they tend to absorb more radionuclides from the soil, according to IFLScience, but in theory Ukraine could open part of the exclusion zone up for its citizens to work.
It’s nice to remember that even as we royally mess things up, the world does actually recover from time to time.
Jetstar is getting on the LARP train
It’s been 21 years since Jetstar first took to the skies, and for its birthday the airline has decided its throwing a pretty interesting birthday bash. Simply put, Jetstar is looking to host a LARP battle—that’s live action role play, for those of you not as nerdy as I am—in Melbourne on 25 May, partnering with the warriors and wizards of ‘Swordcraft‘, an organisation dedicated to bringing people together to live out their fantastical fantasies.
If you’re interesting in getting involved in Jetstar’s upcoming LARP party, you can comment on the company’s Facebook post announcing the competition with an image of your own DIY LARP-friendly outfit, or can make your own video showing it off and tag them.
Selected DIYers will end up winning a share of AUD$50,000 worth of flights, so if that’s something you’re interested in I’d get in quick—there’s already some amazing entries!
