The Olympics are in full swing and we at The Conversation have brought our distinctive approach to covering them from many perspectives – from the politics of the games to the science of sports. In our latest dispatch, an atmospheric scientist and avid skier delves into the science of snowmaking, without which these games would not be possible. And two researchers of sports physics explain the many forces of physics at play for ski jumpers and for competitors of the somewhat terrifying sports of luge, bobsled and skeleton.

One of the great things about working at The Conversation is learning from academics in so many disciplines. Today I learned that it’s forensic scientists who study whether dogs can sniff out and detect COVID-19. Researchers from Florida International University report on how they do their work and the success of their dogs: “We believe that dogs hold great promise as a rapid screening method that, used with other measures such as rapid tests, can help stop COVID-19 spread and end the pandemic.”

Last year we published a series of articles on gender diversity and children, which opened my eyes to the many issues transgender kids and their families face. This follow-on piece delves into the growing controversy around the practice of assigning sex to people at birth. “For those who don’t fit neatly into one of two categories – and there are millions – an inappropriate classification on a birth certificate can have consequences that last a lifetime,” researchers Carl Streed Jr from Boston University and Harvard’s Frances Grimstad write.

Also in this week’s science and research news:

If there’s a subject you’d like our team of science editors to investigate, please reply to this email.

Martin La Monica

Director of Editorial Projects and Newsletters

Snowmaking machines blow cold water, which freezes before it hits the ground. Alexander Uhrin/iStock via Getty Images

Olympic skiers and snowboarders are competing on 100% fake snow – the science of how it’s made and how it affects performance

Peter Veals, University of Utah

Snowmaking machines can produce enough snow to cover a run, but artificial snow is very different from natural flakes that fall from the sky.

Researchers at Florida International University successfully trained One Betta, a Dutch Shepard, and three other dogs to detect COVID-19 on face masks. The dogs got it right 96% to 99% of the time. Joe Raedle/Staff/Getty Images North America

Dogs can be trained to sniff out COVID-19 – a team of forensic researchers explain the science

Kenneth G. Furton, Florida International University; Julian Mendel, Florida International University; Kelvin J. Frank Jr., Florida International University

Dogs have such sensitive noses that they can be trained to detect the odors of crop pests, endangered species, illegal drugs – and diseases like COVID-19.

Although the medical establishment is now recognizing that sex is not binary, society as a whole has been slow to embrace the concept. Vera Livchak/Moment via Getty Images

Not everyone is male or female – the growing controversy over sex designation

Carl Streed Jr, Boston University; Frances Grimstad, Harvard University

Millions of people do not fit neatly into male or female sex designations at birth, and wrong identification can set them up for a lifetime of physical and mental harm.

Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails:

Enjoy reading The Conversation? Share us with your three closest friends: