Naked athletes and pools of olive oil – the ancient Greeks did it better

+ how athletes – and you – can train the brain US Edition - Today's top story: What would the ancient Greeks think of an Olympics with no fans? [View in browser]( US Edition | 23 July 2021 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Every four years in ancient Greece, throngs of people would travel from all corners of the Greek-speaking world to Olympia to celebrate their shared Hellenic heritage. Vincent Farenga, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences classics professor, describes the ritual sacrifices, lavish feasts and moments of religious ecstasy that were, in many ways, just as important to the Greeks as the athletic events themselves. It’s a stark contrast to this year’s Olympic Games, in which anyone interested will need to watch athletes perform before empty stands via satellite signal. The ancient Greeks, writes Farenga, [would have been perplexed by this ghostly iteration of the Games](. Also today: - [The plight of child migrants]( - [TikTok revives debate over copyrighting dance moves]( - [Why religions emphasize rest and contemplation]( Nick Lehr Arts + Culture Editor In ancient Greece, the heart and soul of the festival was the experience shared by all who attended. AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama [What would the ancient Greeks think of an Olympics with no fans?]( Vincent Farenga, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Athletes and spectators were lured to Olympia by a longing for contact with their compatriots and their gods. Science + Technology - [A winning edge for the Olympics and everyday life: Focusing on what you’re trying to accomplish rather than what’s going on with your body]( Gabriele Wulf, University of Nevada, Las Vegas A researcher who studies physical skills explains how getting your conscious thoughts out of the way lets your body do what it knows how to do, better. - [Surfing makes its Olympic debut – and the waves should be world-class thanks to wind, sand and a typhoon or two]( Sally Warner, Brandeis University Olympic surfers are coming from around the world to compete in surfing's Olympic debut. But where will the waves come from? Economy + Business - [Why America has a debt ceiling: 5 questions answered]( Steven Pressman, Monmouth University Sen. Mitch McConnell said Republicans won't vote for an increase in the debt ceiling, which would risk a US default. An economist explains why it's time to get rid of the debt limit once and for all. 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The US is legally responsible for these children, but it is struggling to give them adequate care. - [The Trump administration feuded with state and local leaders over pandemic response – now the Biden administration is trying to turn back a page in history]( Ana Maria Dimand, Boise State University; Benjamin M. Brunjes, University of Washington People can die when the federal government doesn't work well with state and local governments – the COVID-19 crisis showed that. But the Biden administration has signaled an openness to collaboration. - [DACA in doubt after court ruling: 3 questions answered]( Kevin Johnson, University of California, Davis The Supreme Court ruled in 2020 that DACA, a policy that shields undocumented young immigrants from deportation, could continue. Now a Texas court says it can't. An immigration lawyer explains. 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From our international editions - [How the COVID-19 delay of the Tokyo Olympics helped some athletes break records]( Jane Thornton, Western University Some Olympic athletes have thrived in the year-long delay leading up to the Tokyo Games, using the extra time off to improve their performance and shatter national records. - [COVID: the reason cases are rising among the double vaccinated – it’s not because vaccines aren’t working]( Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, University of Oxford Most people being hospitalised with COVID-19 in the UK have had both vaccine doses, but this is to be expected as vaccination rates rise. - [Violence in South Africa: an uprising of elites, not of the people]( Steven Friedman, University of Johannesburg The violence wreaked its damage because South Africa’s journey to democracy remains incomplete. It sends a sharp message that the country must look its past far more squarely in the eye. --------------------------------------------------------------- Today’s graphic [A chart showing how the debt ceiling as it has grown from 1996 to 2019.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe](. 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451