Tech: Are "super shoes" at the Olympics a form of doping?

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July 30—Should we be polite to an AI like ChatGPT? Plus, how social media preys on our evolutionary drive to gather information, and a potentially very exciting discovery by NASA's Perseverance Mars robot. That and more this week! --Ben Guarino, Associate Editor, Technology

Top Stories

Is Technology in the Olympics a Form of Doping or a Reality of Modern Sport? Technological doping refers to the use of equipment—from swimsuits to super shoes—that provides an unfair athletic advantage. But the boundaries of what is allowed are somewhat arbitrary Bree Iskandar, contract writer

Social Media Is Junk Food for Information Foragers Social media exploits our evolved need for information, feeding us fluff and outright misinformation. A new science of human collective behavior can help us retake control Carl T. Bergstrom, expert writer; C. Brandon Ogbunu, expert writer

China-U.S. Science Collaborations Are Declining, Slowing Key Research The U.S. and China are collaborating less on projects across scientific disciplines amid a culture of fear in both countries Gemma Conroy; Nature magazine

Please Be Polite to ChatGPT The benefits of being polite to AI may include prompting better chatbot replies—and nurturing our humanity Webb Wright

This Is the Most Exciting Rock Ever Found on Mars Mysterious "leopard spots" on a Martian rock could be evidence of extraterrestrial life—or of mere lifeless chemistry. Finding out the truth may require bringing the rock back to Earth Lee Billings

How to Stop Doomscrolling News and Social Media "Doomscroll Reminder Lady" Karen K. Ho explains how to step away from the screen Sophie Bushwick

Taylor Swift and Bach Can Thank Ancient Temples for Modern Music The basic notes, rests and harmonies of Western music arose as humans heard how sounds traveled through the first large temples, built more than 2,000 years ago Lynn Whidden, expert writer

NASA May Spend $800 Million to Not Send This Revolutionary Rover to the Moon The VIPER lunar rover promised a revolution in our understanding of the moon's precious deposits of ice. Then NASA cancelled the mission Michael Greshko

Atom-Thick Gold Coating Sparks Scientific 'Goldene Rush' Ultrathin gold was achieved with the help of a century-old sword-making technique Rachel Nuwer

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