An early warning of dementia | Top 10

+ what the GOP got in the debt ceiling standoff US Edition - Today's top story: A little-understood sleep disorder affects millions and has clear links to dementia – 4 questions answered [View in browser]( US Edition | 4 June 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Happy Sunday – and welcome to the best of The Conversation. First, here are a few of our recently published stories: - [COVID-19 clawbacks, spending caps and a cut – what House Republicans got in return for pushing the US to the brink of default]( - [How teachers can stay true to history without breaking new laws that restrict what they can teach about racism]( Like most people, I’ve watched too many elderly family members struggle with dementia. And, like many people, I have wondered if I will face a disease like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s as my own brain ages. So I wasn’t surprised to see that an article that explores the connection between a common sleep disorder and neurodegenerative diseases was our most-read story last week. “Someone with REM sleep behavior disorder will act out their dreams,” writes Anelyssa D'Abreu, a University of Virginia neurologist who specializes in geriatric neurology. “For reasons that are poorly understood, the dream content is usually violent – patients report being chased, or defending themselves, and as they sleep they shout, moan, scream, kick, punch and thrash about.” The disorder affects about 2% of the population over 65. A long-term study of patients with the disorder who didn’t have brain conditions found that “after 12 years, [73.5% of those with REM sleep behavior disorder had developed a related neurodegenerative disorder](.” On another note, this evening will feel a bit empty for “Succession” fans since the finale aired last week. To fill the hole, try reading music professor Delia Casadei’s exploration of why [one of the series’ “best elements is its soundtrack](.” Later this week, we’ll bring you stories about how more backyard homes and granny flats can help alleviate the housing crisis, free speech on campus and why we associate peaches with Georgia. Emily Costello Managing Editor Readers' picks Past age 50, men are much more likely to have REM sleep behavior disorder than women. Jose Luis Pelaez/Stone via Getty Images [A little-understood sleep disorder affects millions and has clear links to dementia – 4 questions answered]( Anelyssa D'Abreu, University of Virginia REM sleep behavior disorder is characterized by acting out dreams, which may include shouting, kicking and punching during sleep. - [‘Man, the hunter’? Archaeologists’ assumptions about gender roles in past humans ignore an icky but potentially crucial part of original ‘paleo diet’]( Raven Garvey, University of Michigan If hunter-gatherers went beyond nose-to-tail eating to include the undigested plant matter in a prey animal’s stomach, assumptions about gendered division of labor start to fall apart. - [Atlantic hurricane season 2023: El Niño and extreme Atlantic Ocean heat are about to clash]( Christina Patricola, Iowa State University Current forecasts suggest a warm tropical Pacific will be interfering with what could otherwise be a ferocious Atlantic hurricane season. - [To have better disagreements, change your words – here are 4 ways to make your counterpart feel heard and keep the conversation going]( Julia Minson, Harvard Kennedy School Researchers have identified ways to have more productive conversations – even when you’re talking to someone who holds an opposite view. - [What really started the American Civil War?]( Robert Gudmestad, Colorado State University There was one central reason the Civil War happened. Editors' picks While the Roy siblings are shielded by their wealth, the show’s music chips away at their armor. Macall Polay/HBO [How the sounds of ‘Succession’ shred the grandeur and respect the characters so desperately try to project]( Delia Casadei, University of California, Berkeley Composer Nicholas Britell festoons earnest Romantic music with sounds that gleefully desecrate it, underscoring the show’s emotional core: a lust for power joined by immense self-loathing. - [Getting Social Security on a more stable path is hard but essential – 2 experts suggest a way forward]( Andrew Rettenmaier, Texas A&M University; Dennis W. Jansen, Texas A&M University If Congress and the White House fail to take action, Social Security beneficiaries would see a sudden 23% cut in their monthly checks in 2034. - [How AI could take over elections – and undermine democracy]( Archon Fung, Harvard Kennedy School; Lawrence Lessig, Harvard University Artificial intelligence looks like a political campaign manager’s dream because it could tune its persuasion efforts to millions of people individually – but it could be a nightmare for democracy. - [I study migrants traveling through Mexico to the US, and saw how they follow news of dangers – but are not deterred]( Angel Alfonso Escamilla García, Cornell University A fire killed 38 migrants in a Mexico detention facility in March 2023. A sociologist’s conversations with migrants show that they had a common response to this news – a deep sense of grief. - [Most super rich couples have breadwinning husbands and stay-at-home wives, contrasting sharply with everyone else]( Jill Yavorsky, University of North Carolina – Charlotte; Sarah Thebaud, University of California, Santa Barbara While most heterosexual couples are dual-earners, super rich couples continue to have gender-traditional arrangements in which the man is the sole breadwinner. News Quiz 🧠- [The Conversation U.S. weekly news quiz]( Test your knowledge with a weekly quiz drawn from some of our favorite stories. This week's quiz is loaded with spoilers, from details of the "Succession" finale and the debt limit bill to the lives of super rich heterosexuals. Like this newsletter? 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