Spectators at the US Open were drawn into a protracted and surprisingly bitter feud between athletes this week – not, unfortunately, about any of the tennis being played, but over how long one of them spends on the toilet.

Having won two sets against Andy Murray, Stefanos Tsitsipas asked for a restroom break and didn’t return for a full seven minutes. Murray, not exactly known for unwavering patience at the best of times, pretty much lost the plot and accused Tsitsipas of cheating when he went on to win the match.

It seems the Greek player is known for his extended calls of nature and was booed by fans just days later for pulling the same stunt in a second-round match. But he didn’t actually break any rules. Players are allowed “reasonable time” to visit the water closet and maybe he just drank a lot of Gatorade that day. Is it fair to call him a cheat? A specialist in sports ethics plunges into the debate.

Elsewhere, we’ve learned that participants in the hitherto wholesome sport of mountain biking are also on the verge of war. Traditionalists are incensed by the increasing popularity of loud and powerful electric bikes, which they see as ruining the countryside and compromising the integrity of their hobby. To old-school riders, hi-tech bikes make people lazy and selfish on the trails. Their dispute is dirtier than a sodden country byway and shows no sign of abating.

From bikes to automobiles, as a new type of petrol was made available in the UK this week. E10 is made of 90% regular unleaded petrol and 10% ethanol, making it a greener alternative that could help move us towards carbon-cutting goals. So what is this magic stuff and will you soon be pumping it into your vehicle?

Also this week, thoughts on the Candyman reboot, what it was like to be in the White House on 9/11 and everything you need to know about Mu – the latest COVID variant of interest.

Laura Hood

Politics Editor, Assistant Editor

Justin Lane/EPA

Andy Murray, Stefanos Tsitsipas and that seven-minute toilet break – can you cheat if you don’t break the rules?

John William Devine, Swansea University

Tsitsipas’s reputation for taking strategic breaks is so well established that Murray planned for such disruptions.

shutterstock.

Are e-bikes ruining mountain biking?

Jim Cherrington, Sheffield Hallam University

Electric bikes allow riders to go much further and faster in the countryside – and this has led to a lot of concern from mountain bikers.

New petrol E10 is expected to cut carbon dioxide emissions. Gary L Hider/Shutterstock

The new E10 petrol: will it bring benefits?

Andrew Barron, Swansea University

A new type of petrol is expected to cut carbon dioxide

Universal Pictures/MGM Pictures

Candyman: the urban legends behind the movie and why we find them irresistible

Joe Stubbersfield, University of Winchester

Urban legends are shaped by the people who tell them and where they’re from. That’s why you’ll hear so many versions of the same story.

Staff members were rushed into the White House Mess – then rushed out when they were told a plane was heading for the White House. Tina Hager/George W. Bush Presidential Center

‘Get out now’ – inside the White House on 9/11, according to the staffers who were there

Anita McBride, American University

A top White House aide to President George W. Bush recounts what 9/11 was like for White House staffers.

Lightspring/Shutterstock

Mu: everything you need to know about the new coronavirus variant of interest

Luke O'Neill, Trinity College Dublin

B1621 has a “constellation of mutations” that could help it escape the effects of vaccines – but evidence on its effects is currently limited.

 

Featured events

EXPLORATHON '21

University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, AB24 3FX, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Aberdeen

IOE Impact Meet Ups Online: Professor Alissa Goodman CBE

20 Bedford Way , London , London, City of, WC1H 0AL , United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — UCL

'Civic Virtue, Community and The Common Good' - A Jubilee Centre Webinar

Floor 12 (West), Muirhead Tower, University of Birmingham , Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Birmingham

Embodied Inquiry book launch: In conversation… with Sophie Woodward, Jennifer Leigh and Nicole Brown

Online, Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland — University of Southampton

More events
 

Contact us here to have your event listed.

For sponsorship opportunities, email us here