Researchers debate theories on building the pyramids, astronauts get trapped in space, Olympians swim the Seine

Olympians swim in the muddy Seine, astronauts are confined to the space station

By Rachel Feltman and Fonda Mwangi Kelso Harper

Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday listeners! This is Rachel Feltman. Scientific American Science right away. Start your week with the latest science news.

First, let’s look at some of the news that has caught our attention recently. A few weeks ago, SiamAlison Parshall of the Paris Times explains why and how Paris is trying to make the Seine clean enough for Olympic athletes to swim in. The river was indeed used for the individual triathlon on July 31, but since then there has been a lot of badmouthing about the river’s bacteria levels. Belgian Olympic Committee Belgium announced that they were withdrawing their team from the mixed relay triathlon after one of their swimmers fell ill after competing in the Seine. Belgian swimmer Claire Michel was indeed quite unwell with gastrointestinal symptoms, She revealed on Instagram last week that she had contracted the virus.not E. coli No infections occurred, as many had speculated. But as Alison explained a few weeks ago, the safety of the Seine changes daily. Last week, swimmers had to miss a scheduled training day due to high bacteria counts. The next day, they were cleared to swim, but… Some swimmers used paddle boards To get a feel for the course without getting our heads underwater. Tune in to the July 19 episode to learn more about this massive environmental project and why Paris is making such a big bet on its urban river.

Speaking of Olympic headlines, if you haven’t already, be sure to check out our July 31 interview with journalist Rose Eveleth. It’s packed with historical context and modern research to help you understand the recent controversy over gender testing and the fairness of women’s boxing.

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And here’s an update on another old favorite news item: According to NASA, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are definitely not trapped in space yet, but they’re also definitely not home yet. The two astronauts arrived at the International Space Station on June 6th. They were only to stay for two weeks. A malfunction on the Boeing Starliner they were aboard delayed their return. Last week, NASA announced that it would not send any crewed missions to the ISS until at least September 24. The SpaceX Crew 9 mission, which was scheduled to deliver four astronauts to the ISS this weekend, has been postponed. You can’t take off until the Starliner spacecraft takes off. Return. There are only two docks on the US side of the ISS, and SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavour already occupies the second place. In other words, this is a pretty good indication that NASA is still undecided about whether to return Butch and Suni on the Starliner. NASA emphasized in a press conference on Wednesday that nothing has been decided, which I think everyone understands. But NASA said that one potential alternative would be to return them together with the members of the postponed Crew 9 mission. That mission is scheduled to last six months, which would push back Butch and Suni’s return to 2025.

For the first time in nearly 40 years, the Environmental Protection Agency exercised its authority to immediately remove pesticides from circulation last week. The EPA issued an emergency order. The EPA has suspended the sale of products containing dimethyltetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA), also sold under the brand name Dacthal. This herbicide has been around since the 1950s, and the EPA has studied its effects on thyroid health for many years. The EPA It said in a statement AMVAC Chemical, the sole manufacturer of DCPA, has repeatedly failed to provide data proving the pesticide’s safety, and EPA evaluations suggest it poses an unacceptable risk. The herbicide is particularly harmful to developing fetuses, It has been banned in the European Union for over 10 years.

In other news, “Am I the only one who thinks there is no such thing as healthy consumption under capitalism?” Cleveland Clinic The popular artificial sweetener erythritol may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes. Erythritol is found naturally in some fruits and vegetables, and our bodies actually produce it in small amounts when metabolizing glucose. But that doesn’t mean that the amounts found in sugar-free foods and drinks are harmless. The study, published last Thursday, showed that when subjects consumed amounts equivalent to those found in foods, erythritol levels in their blood increased by more than 1,000 times the baseline. The researchers also found an increase in blood clots, which did not occur when subjects consumed glucose. The same group at the Cleveland Clinic recently expressed similar concerns about erythritol. Another sugar alcohol called xylitolThe lead authors of both studies noted that enjoying sugar-sweetened treats in moderation may be healthier than consuming large amounts of sugar alcohols, especially for people at risk for or who have already been diagnosed with heart or metabolic disease.

Finally, let’s finish with some very controversial news that will probably lead to a TV documentary about awful alien history. A private research institute called Paleotechnic The company claims that ancient Egyptians may have used an unlikely tool to build the pyramids: a hydraulic lift. In a new paper by researchers at the company, they say the 4,700-year-old Pyramid of Djoser was built without any concrete structures. It was built with the help of advanced hydraulic freight elevators that harnessed the water power of a tributary of the Nile.But this flashy headline seems to be quite problematic. Outside experts say: There are no Egyptologists or archaeologists. Everyone directly involved in the research seems very skeptical. They pointed out that there was probably some historical record. As impressive as this device is, it would be difficult for the Nile to actually provide the hydropower needed to generate such enormous lift. Hard but fair, guys. Hard but fair.

That’s it for this week’s news roundup. Tune in on Wednesday for a deeper dive into the latest science news, and tune in on Friday’s episode, where we’ll be chatting with Wendy Zukerman. Science Vs. Hear all about her efforts to investigate one of the biggest taboos in scientific research: butt stuff.

If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts, and we’d also love to hear your questions, comments, and suggestions for topics you’d like to see us cover. ScienceQuickly@sciam.com.

Science Now The producers are myself, Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg and Jeff Delvisio. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme song was composed by Dominique Smith. Scientific American We bring you more up-to-date and in-depth science news.

for Scientific American, This is Rachel Feltman. Have a great week!