Don Deane

Ever been told to “grin and bear it” during a rough time? According to a new study by researchers at the University of Kansas, that advice might be more than just an old cliché. In fact, the study says, smiling might just be good for your heart.

Main Street Elementary School in South Los Angeles was a scene of confusion and mayhem Wednesday when a 100-year-old driver backed his car onto a sidewalk and injured nine children and two adults at the end of the school day.

Although details are sketchy at the moment, several news outlets are reporting that a gunman has shot multiple people near the Empire State Building in Manhattan this morning.

It’s no secret that a sedentary lifestyle promotes obesity, but a new study by the Milken Institute in California confirms the negative impact of TVs and computers while adding a frightening statistic — for every 10 percent increase a country spends on technology, that country’s obesity rate climbs.

Exactly one year ago Thursday, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered in Mineral, Virginia, rocked the Eastern seaboard, causing tremors from Georgia all the way to New England. Where were you when it happened?

According to a new study published in the journal Psychological Science, wakeful resting — otherwise known as “spacing out” — can actually improve memory. So, the next time somebody accuses you of not listening, just say you’re boosting your memory and there’s science to prove it.

If there’s one thing we’ve always taken for granted regarding the Olympics, it’s that gold medals are actually made out of gold. So imagine our surprise when we learned that this year’s first place medals are mostly silver.

Early Monday morning, NASA’s $2.5 billion Curiosity rover safely landed on Mars after eight months of interplanetary travel. The car-sized, one-ton rover now begins a two-year mission of exploration and discovery as it roams the surface of the red planet.

Many of us could stand to lose a few pounds, but surely we’re not that overweight, right? Well, a new study from the University of Washington says that Americans — men especially — are in denial when it comes to their waistlines.

This won’t come as a surprise to many Americans, but the problem of illegal robocalls — recorded messages which are used to sell everything from mortgage relief to extended car warranties — is getting worse, according to the Federal Trade Commission. In fact, complaints have more than doubled in the past two years.

In order to be an Olympian, athletes typically work very hard to get their bodies in peak shape. And yet, a new study says that intense physical training may have an unintended consequence — chronic asthma.

Beef lovers will soon feel the effects of the worst drought in 50 years as the price of meat rises sharply in the coming months. The ongoing drought gripping two-thirds of the country has caused crops to wither and sent the cost of feed soaring. Experts say this will cause meat prices to skyrocket.

While some may prefer the relative quiet of working the late shift, a new study says that after-hours work may be bad for your health. In fact, the study says, working the graveyard shift may actually give you a heart attack or stroke.

Walt Disney World bills itself as “the happiest place on earth,” but it was anything but for several dozen people who became ill after visiting a nature tour in June.

Olympic taekwondo may not be as popular as, say, swimming or track and field, but its athletes are just as motivated. Take Diana Lopez, for example, a fierce competitor in the sport who hopes to soon add gold to her 2008 bronze medal win in Beijing.

As one-half of the legendary team also starring Misty May-Treanor, Kerri Walsh-Jennings is instantly recognizable as one of the greatest beach volleyball players in the world. Together, they’re defending Olympic champions who won gold medals in both the 2004 and 2008 games, and they’re looking to repeat their success for a third time in London this year.

While soccer isn’t nearly as popular here as it is in other parts of the world, it seems to get its due in the US during the Olympics, at least. And when the women’s national soccer team won gold after a hotly-contested battle against Brazil at the 2008 Games in Beijing, its members became superstars.

The 2012 US Olympic tennis team roster — which includes Serena and Venus Williams and Andy Roddick just to name a few — reads like a who’s who of the sport. But to casual fans, brothers Bob and Mike Bryan may not be as instantly recognizable.

Many of the 49 men and women who make up this year’s US swimming squad — like Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Jessica Hardy and Rebecca Soni — have years of experience. But fresh-faced Missy Franklin is a relative newcomer to the sport.

At 27 years old, swimmer Michael Phelps is at the top of his game. He’s won countless honors, awards and medals during his career, leading some to describe him as the greatest athlete in history to ever grace the sport.