Like people, man’s best friend can get dementia with aging. And these older dogs sleep less deeply when they develop the condition, just as people with Alzheimer’s disease do, according to research that included problem-solving tasks and brain wave measurements. “Our study is the first to evaluate the association between cognitive impairment and sleep using…  read on >  read on >

Only five months have passed since the world got its first taste of the ground-breaking artificial intelligence (AI) tool known as ChatGPT. Promising a brave new world of human-machine connectivity, AI demonstrates near-instantaneous access to in-depth information on almost any subject, all in full conversational sentences, often delivered in a human-sounding voice. A new study…  read on >  read on >

Travelers to the United States will now only need a single bivalent COVID vaccine from either Pfizer or Moderna to enter the country, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday. The loosening of vaccination requirements for foreign travelers comes as many other countries have already done so. “Because some traveler vaccine records…  read on >  read on >

Hair relaxers may slightly affect fertility, a factor most likely to impact women who are Black or Hispanic, according to a new study. Research led by Boston University School of Public Health found that these chemical hair straighteners may affect a person’s ability to become pregnant. This builds on growing evidence about the effects on…  read on >  read on >

Selfie shots might seem shallow but they’re actually serving a deeper psychological purpose, a new study suggests. So-called “third-person” photos — shots taken to include the photographer, such as selfies or group shots — are better at depicting the deeper meaning of an event in a person’s life, by showing them actively participating in that…  read on >  read on >

Fewer U.S. adults are smoking cigarettes, as rates dropped again last year, according to federal health officials. In all, 1 in 9 American adults smoked cigarettes last year, an all-time low, and a significant change from the 1960s when 42% smoked. The results weren’t all positive, the Associated Press reported, as vaping rose to about…  read on >  read on >

Menopause symptoms are costly business, with billions spent on treating hot flashes, night sweats and lost sleep, a new study finds. The research, published Wednesday in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, found that women living with these symptoms needed to see their doctor more often and missed more work. “A full 13% of the women…  read on >  read on >

Walking your dog gets you moving and out in the fresh air, but head injuries and fractures are very real possibilities, especially for older dog owners, researchers say. The most common injury from walking a leashed dog that sends folks to the ER is fractured fingers, a new study from Johns Hopkins University found. But…  read on >  read on >

Those TV ads for juicy burgers may trigger your emotions, making you believe you’ll be happier if you run out and get one for yourself. Unfortunately, a similar ad for salad does not appear to have the same emotional impact, according to new research from the University of Michigan. “Many people think that eating highly…  read on >  read on >