Passing the Torch

Things feel like they've shifted maybe? I mean, is this what it feels like to have hope again?

None of us knows if we can do this. And we are about to do it anyway. And the combination of those truths helped me, in those vertiginous few minutes, to not feel panic but excitement. I felt excited about the future for the first time in years. – Rebecca Traister on "The Thrill of Taking a Huge Risk on Kamala Harris."

Or maybe we're all so tired and ground down, that the weirdest things now feel like fucking poetry. Case in point: Snoop Dogg will carry the Olympic torch in the final stretch before this evening's opening ceremony in Paris.

I haven't really committed to viewing the Olympics in many many many years, and there’s just been so much doomsaying going around — about Paris, about the Olympics in general — that I feel compelled to tune in. Plus, there are at least four or five (track) events that I am quite honestly quite excited to watch. (Who am I?!)

1. The Women's 1500 Meter. (I'm rooting for Nikki Hiltz, although holy shit, Faith Kipyegon is on fire.)
2. The Women's 400 Meter Hurdles. (I'm rooting for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, even though I love saying "Femke Bol." Femke Bol. Femke Bol. Femke Bol.)
3. The Men's Marathon. (I'm rooting Eliud Kipchoge. I can't help it. I'd love to see him win an unprecedented third gold medal in the event, but I'm not sure it's in the cards. It's not just his age (he'll turn 40 in November); the route looks damn tough.)
4. The Men's 1500 Meter. (I'm rooting for Yared Nuguse, even though he was out-kicked at the Olympic Trials by Cole Hocker. I'd be happy to see Hocker medal, despite the man-bun. I could even root for Scottish Josh Kerr. Just someone – anyone – please beat Jakob Ingebrigtsen. This race is going to be fast.)
5. And while you can just inject any Sha'Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles content straight into my veins – she's running the 100m and possibly the 4x100m relay; he's running the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relay – I'll probably be shouting the loudest during 16-year-old Quincy Wilson's leg of the latter.

I’ll surely tune in to the gymnastics and some of the swimming (even if no one needs confirmation that Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky are GOATs) and probably the climbing and oh yeah, the breakdancing. But mostly I'll keep the sports updates (and culture of sports analysis) to Monday's newsletter from here on out. Apologies...

On Fridays, we stick to the science and technology news. So, here's some science and technology storytelling from the Olympics (which I surely will continue to monitor): "From Gods to Gurus: The Evolution of Olympic Superstition and Pseudoscience," writes Nick Tiller in the Skeptical Inquirer. Swiss shoe-maker Om is hoping that its "spray on" shoes will help its athletes win gold in Paris. Sure, why not. (Among those wearing them will be Hellen Obiri, who has a good shot at winning the women's marathon.) Elsewhere in Swiss technology, "Omega’s AI Will Map How Olympic Athletes Win," says Wired with the obligatory artificial intelligence tie-in. One of the biggest and oldest names in clocks has some new-fangled timing technology. Phew! Innovation!

And, mark your calendars, provided the planet can hold on that long and we still have “winter”: the Winter Olympics will head back to Salt Lake City in 2034.

In other sports technology news: Honestly, I have little interest in following the Tour de France, as much as I’ve started to really enjoy cycling. I mean, does anyone even watch men's sports? Congratulations winner, whoever you are. Ah yes, fitness technology cares, of course of course. Tadej Pogačar is now the most followed athlete on Strava, in case you're looking to make yourself feel bad by comparing your bike-riding to another person's. "Tadej Pogačar broke 288 Strava KOMs during Tour de France victory," Cycling Weekly informs us. ("KOM" means "king of the mountain" – the person with the fastest time on a segment mapped in the app. "King" because, you know, sports dudes.)

Elsewhere in the business of health technology: Tampons contain arsenic and lead. But more research is needed, apparently, before scientists can say if this is dangerous for women. Um, yikes? Chris Ashenden, founder of AG1 (which makes the Athletic Greens supplement that you'll see a lot of fitness influencers promote on social media), is stepping down. "RxDiet Raises $3M for AI-Powered 'Food as Medicine' Platform" — all the keywords there. "Maurten Secures $22M for Next-Gen Energy Gels" — please use these dollars to make something less gaggy. Private equity remains "bullish" on the health and wellness industry, according to Athletechnews. (These sorts of things are often framed as "good news," but consider how private equity guts companies, I'm not sure one should be too terribly excited about this.) "Why Are Gen Z Boys Chewing on Rock-Hard Gum?" The New York Times tries to understand the "facial fitness" trend, which is definitely now less cool that The NYT is on it.

Elsewhere in the politics of health: RFK Jr. has floated the idea of working in a second Trump Administration, in some sort of role overseeing the nation's health programs, The Washington Post reports. What could go wrong? ... The anti-vaxx Presidential candidate – RFK Jr, to be clear – "Wants to Send People on Antidepressants to Government 'Wellness Farms,'" according to Mother Jones. So there's that.

But as the Kamala crowd chanted this week, we're not going back. Right?

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