In a New York Times op-ed, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy wrote that the U.S. needs to focus on its "epidemic of loneliness," and that half of Americans are lonely — including himself. He pointed out that some of the health risks of loneliness, such as depression, anxiety, heart disease, dementia, and stroke, make it comparable to smoking daily. He proposed a three-step process to help with the epidemic: invest in social infrastructure, reconsider how we use technology, and strengthen our personal connections.
PREVENTING DEMENTIA
A new study shows that being bilingual can help prevent dementia. Researchers tested hundreds of older people on learning, memory, language, and decision-making and found that those who used two languages daily performed consistently better than those who knew only one language.
CANCER-DETECTING AI
Researchers and doctors at the National Health Service in the United Kingdom have built an artificial intelligence application that can detect cancer. According to new research published in The Lancet, the AI tool was developed using hundreds of lung scans from real patients, training it on the subtle differences between cancerous and non-cancerous growths that are often difficult to see with the human eye.
The charging of Rex Heuermann with several murders of sex workers found on a Long Island beach has drawn attention to unsolved murders of sex workers elsewhere. There is no indication whether investigators suspect Heuermann in the killings of four sex workers in New Jersey.
Racing will resume at Churchill Downs in September, with no changes being made after a review of surfaces and safety protocols in the wake of 12 horse deaths, including seven in the days leading up to the Kentucky Derby in May.
Six migrant workers were rammed by a vehicle outside a Walmart in North Carolina on Sunday in what appears to have been an intentional assault, but Maj. Brian Greene, interim chief of the Lincolnton Police Department, said the driver's motives are still under investigation.
The horseshoe crab has been scuttling in the ocean and tidal pools for more than 400 million years, playing a vital role in the East Coast ecosystem along with being a prized item for fishing bait and medical research.
