We cover the science stories of the Olympics, concerns about artificial sweeteners and a new theory of how the pyramids were built in this week’s news roundup.

A mountaintop burial site offers a glimpse into Inka life—but raises ethical questions about unearthing ancient human remains.

Coral reef soundscapes could help researchers assess their overall health.

Elevated cancer case rates, private spacewalk pushed back, and a new category of wood in this week’s news roundup.

Archaeoastronomers piece together how people understood the heavens thousands of years ago.

Rose Eveleth Talks to Us About 'Tested'

Also, Dragons With Iron-Tipped Teeth And More

A group on the islands of Penghu is restoring ancient fishing weirs, hoping to preserve the sustainable fishing practice and attract ecotourism.

Advanced meditation is changing how we think about consciousness. Hear neuroscience researcher Matthew Sacchet explain his journey to studying what happens to the brain during a deeper engagement with meditation.

See the Perseid Meteor Shower and Watch Tornado Hunters on the Big Screen

Will the Seine Be Ready for Olympic Swimmers?

Radiolab host Latif Nasser found and named a mysterious quasi-moon of Venus. Now you can help name one of Earth’s quasi-moons.

It’s been 55 years since the Apollo 11 mission, innovative ​​“stillsuits” designed to recycle astronaut pee could enhance spacewalks, and a surprising case of the plague has occurred in Colorado.

Researchers on a multimonth Antarctic expedition describe how the climate crisis intertwines with their work.

Claims that Przewalski’s horses were discovered in the U.S. are unverified. But the conservation story behind the last truly wild horse is worth your time.

It’s well known that petrochemicals are toxic to our health. Here’s how to steer clear of these by-products of the fossil fuel industry.

Emergency access to abortion is preserved—for now. Also, NASA postpones the return of Starliner astronauts, and we’re tracking the spread of bird flu, dengue and mpox.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at how researchers live and work on a U.S. icebreaker making its way through the waters of West Antarctica.

Heat waves are getting hotter, more frequent and longer. But there are ways to keep yourself and your community cool.

Microplastics are everywhere, the Seine’s Olympic ambitions are complicated by poop, and the Starliner spacecraft delays its return to Earth.

To unravel the effects of melting sea ice, researchers drill the frozen waters around Antarctica and receive a surprise visit from a group of penguins.

A nuclear explosion in space would cause stunning auroras—and wreak havoc on satellites and space stations.

Sweltering heat in Greece, ozone-damaging chemicals on the decline and an investigation of what space does to our body are all in this week’s news roundup.

Researchers are investigating how an iron infusion from glacial meltwater might change Antarctica’s seas and the climate.