Weekly News Quiz

Here’s what makes smoke so hazardous: It’s made of fine, inhalable particles dubbed particulate matter 2.5, or PM2.5, because the particles are 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter. Smoke inhalation triggers inflammation and oxidative stress, a process that can damage DNA and cells. It leads to stress on your vascular system and changes in autonomic nervous system balance.

In the original poem, Odysseus barely makes a move without the input or aid of Zeus’ “bright-eyed” daughter Athena. The goddess has a much more discreet role in Nolan’s version.

Pay attention to shared surfaces like menus, saltshakers or self-serve condiment stations. “Bringing your own hand sanitizer is a great habit. Use it after handling the menus or the saltshaker. When it’s possible, choose single-serve condiments over shared ones,” one expert tells AARP.

A Mayo Clinic study analyzing more than 15,000 patients who received steroid shots for pain in hips, knees, shoulders or other joints found that those who got the injections a few weeks before the flu vaccine experienced a reduction in vaccine effectiveness. A two-week buffer between certain treatments and the flu shot can give your immune system time to respond fully.