An actionable report on dementia

+ the importance of play; in praise of 'weird' US Edition - Today's top story: JD Vance is no pauper − he's a classic example of 'poornography,' in which the rich try to speak on behalf of the poor [View in browser]( US Edition | 18 August 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday − and welcome to the best of The Conversation U.S. Here are a few of our recently published stories: - [US voters say they’re ready for a woman president − but sexist attitudes still go along with opposition to Harris]( - [Banana apocalypse, part 2 – a genomicist explains the tricky genetics of the fungus devastating bananas worldwide]( Like most people, I have loved ones who have developed dementia from Alzheimer’s and other diseases. The condition is common, affecting millions of people in the U.S. and an estimated 57 million worldwide. Having seen how the condition devastates memory and changes behavior, I’d very much like to avoid developing it myself. So it was no surprise that one of the stories that most interested readers last week explains how to reduce dementia rates by about 45% in the future by addressing [14 risk factors during different stages of life](. The story comes from two scholars who contributed to the recently published Lancet Commission on Dementia report – Eric B. Larson, a general internist at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and Laura Gitlin, an applied sociologist from Drexel University. What’s hopeful is that many of these interventions – such as addressing vision and hearing loss, lowering high levels of “bad” cholesterol, limiting alcohol consumption and stopping smoking – are things that individuals can control themselves. [ [The latest on philanthropy and nonprofits. Sign up for our weekly Giving Today newsletter](. ] Emily Costello Director of Collaborations + Local News Readers' picks [JD Vance is no pauper − he’s a classic example of ‘poornography,’ in which the rich try to speak on behalf of the poor]( Lennard J. Davis, University of Illinois Chicago It happens in journalism and it happens in the arts. But in Congress – where just 2% of representatives held blue-collar or service-industry jobs before entering politics – it’s rampant. - [Why is an ultimate goal called a ‘Holy Grail?’]( Joanne M. Pierce, College of the Holy Cross Several threads, including pre-Christian mythology, veneration of relics in Christian tradition, and medieval literature, have combined over the centuries into the Holy Grail metaphor of today. - [Could dinosaurs still exist somewhere in the world? A paleontologist explains]( Hans Sues, Smithsonian Institution It’s fun to imagine secret dinosaur survivors living today, hidden in a remote corner of Earth. But the truth of who made it through the extinction event 66 million years ago may surprise you. - [Ukraine’s cross-border incursion challenges Moscow’s war narrative – but will it shift Russian opinion?]( Peter Rutland, Wesleyan University The Kremlin has pushed a dual narrative: that the conflict represents an existential battle with the West, but that life goes on as normal for most Russians. - [At its core, life is all about play − just look at the animal kingdom]( David Toomey, UMass Amherst Reduced to its essence, the process of natural selection would look a lot like play. Editors' picks [In praise of the weird]( Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock, Central Michigan University Despite feeling some schadenfreude at watching politicians squirm over being derided as such, a scholar of speculative fiction wants to keep America weird. - [Dementia risk factors identified in new global report are all preventable – addressing them could reduce dementia rates by 45%]( Eric B. Larson, University of Washington; Laura Gitlin, Drexel University Worldwide, the number of people with dementia is set to dramatically rise in the next 25 years. But a new report shows it doesn’t have to happen. - [Editing fetal genomes is on the horizon − a medical anthropologist explains why ethical discussions with the target communities should happen sooner rather than later]( Julia Brown, University of California, San Francisco In the absence of clear-cut regulation, who should decide on where and how a technology that could change the course of human health should be applied? - [SpaceX’s Elon Musk endorsed Donald Trump for president – what this could mean for US space policy]( Svetla Ben-Itzhak, Johns Hopkins University Elon Musk’s support of Donald Trump could earn him some influence over space policy if Trump wins the 2024 election. - [How back-to-back hurricanes set off a year of compounding disasters for one city − and alarm bells about risks in a warming world]( Tracy Kijewski-Correa, University of Notre Dame A National Academies report finds crucial lessons for everyone’s disaster planning and recovery in a town hit hard by two hurricanes, downpours and deep freezes, all in the midst of a pandemic. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. A guest quizmaster this week, with questions on weirdness, dementia and dinosaurs. - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Giving Today]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get one daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you [facts and analysis to help you make sense of our complex world](. We can give away all our articles without any ads or paywalls thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. 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