A sleep disorder that causes people to act out their dreams is the best current predictor of brain diseases like Parkinson’s and many other forms of dementia. “Rapid-eye-movement sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is not just a precursor but also a critical warning sign of neurodegeneration that can lead to brain disease,” says associate professor and lead author Dr. John Peever. …

Police in Georgetown, Texas, are investigating one of their own after he was caught on tape apparently tripping and pushing children at a high school state championship soccer game on Saturday.

Young and middle–aged adults who use marijuana could be putting themselves at risk for heart–related complications, even death. That’s according to a new study published in the journal of the American Heart Association.

Jonathan Blum, a top official at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will leave his post on May 16. The departure of Mr. Blum, the agency’s principal deputy administrator, was announced Tuesday in an email to staff by CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. He was first appointed as the director for the Center for Medicare in 2009 before becoming a …

Maximum water levels in New York harbor during major storms have risen by nearly two and a half feet since the mid-1800s, making the chances of water overtopping the Manhattan seawall now at least 20 times greater than they were 170 years ago, according to a new study. Whereas sea-level rise, which is occurring globally, has raised water levels along …

A recent poll asked 1,012 Americans about their confidence in different scientific concepts, and one answer in particular was pretty interesting. When shown the phrase “The universe began 13.8 billion years ago with a big bang,” only 21 percent of the respondents said they were “extremely confident” or “very confident” the phrase was true. Out of five answers, “not at …

‘Big Bang Theory’ Star Kaley Cuoco Chops off Her Hair Short for Real, New Bob Look for the Star Kaley Cuoco has a new hairdo and it is short. This time it is short for real. On Wednesday, the “Big Bang Theory” star posted a photo of herself and flaunted her new bob hair cut

An analysis of NASA satellite data revealed Africa’s Congo rainforest has significantly declined in greenness over the past decade. The rainforest is the second largest in the world, a NASA news release reported. “It’s important to understand these changes because most climate models predict tropical forests may be under stress due to increasing severe water shortages in a warmer and …

A magnitude-6.6 earthquake off the coast of Vancouver Island was felt by residents across the Island and on the mainland Wednesday night. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the quake, first reported as a 6.7, off the west coast of the Island at 8:10 p.m., about 94 kilometres south of Port Hardy and 11 kilometres deep.

Patients with mild cognitive impairment were 80% more likely to die over a 6-year period than cognitively normal patients. The risks were significantly elevated for both patients with amnestic and nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Dr. Maria Vassilaki and her colleagues reported in a study released April 23 in advance of the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

Scientists say a massive 255-square-mile iceberg with an area almost twice the size of Atlanta is moving into the ocean off Antarctica. It could threaten shipping during the antarctic winter. In a report from NASA’s Earth Observatory, scientists say the ice island covers 255-square miles and could be almost a third of a mile thick.