The French capital is getting ready to host millions of spectators during the 2024 Paris Olympics, which begin on July 26. Flags and other patriotic symbols will be on display, and fans will cheer for the feats of their country’s athletes.
The Olympic Games can be interpreted as a “civil religious ceremony” that convenes every four years, writes Arizona State University’s Terry Shoemaker. Civil religion includes events in which Americans, regardless of their religious affiliation, gather for shared rituals, such as watching fireworks displays on the Fourth of July.
Winning gold during the Games may thus reflect more than an individual athlete’s accomplishment. Playing a national anthem during a medal ceremony acknowledges the “collective strength of the entire country,” Shoemaker argues.
This week we also liked articles about the rising average age of U.S. lawmakers, unregulated online political ads and supermassive black holes.
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The U.S. gymnastics team selected for the 2024 Paris Olympics celebrates in Minneapolis.
AP Photo/Abbie Parr
Terry Shoemaker, Arizona State University
Sporting events form a vital space where Americans display their ‘civil religious devotion,’ according to a scholar of religion and sports.
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Scientists in a truck outfitted with instruments race toward a storm.
National Severe Storms Lab/NOAA
Yvette Richardson, Penn State; Paul Markowski, Penn State
To capture the data needed to understand how tornadoes behave, scientists have to be near the storm. The ‘Twister’ movies get some of it right.
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President Joe Biden makes his way to Marine One, flanked by aides and staff, in May 2024.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Shannon Bow O'Brien, The University of Texas at Austin
Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and other presidents showed that getting limited information as president can have some benefits – but also risks.
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Charlie Hunt, Boise State University
Nearly 20% of House and Senate members are 70 or older, and only 6% are under 40. What explains Congress’ advanced age?
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Steven Caplan, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Political ad transparency – who’s paying for ads and whether candidates stand behind them – is well-regulated for TV and radio. Online, not so much.
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Marjorie Hershey, Indiana University
Though largely unread, party platforms are a vital clue about which groups hold real power in the two major national parties and can help predict what the government will actually do.
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The Conversation News Quiz 🧠
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Fritz Holznagel, The Conversation
Here’s the first question of this week’s edition:
President Joe Biden said in a July 5 interview that he would drop out of the 2024 presidential race if who told him to?
- A. “My wife, Jill”
- B. “Barack Obama”
- C. "The Lord Almighty"
- D. "Commander, my talking dog"
Test your knowledge
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