June research roundup: 6 cool science stories we almost missed
Summary
This article shares a few interesting science stories from June, including research on a soccer move called the scissors feint, the design of the FIFA World Cup ball, and a project using technology to read ancient scrolls buried by a volcano. The studies explain how soccer players move to trick opponents, why goalkeepers find the new ball tricky, and new progress in reading damaged scrolls from Herculaneum.Key Facts
- Japanese scientists studied soccer players using high-speed cameras to understand the scissors feint, a trick where players fake one direction and quickly go the other.
- Skilled players control their distance to defenders and use fast knee movements to accelerate, making their moves quick and deceptive.
- The 2026 FIFA World Cup ball, called Adidas Trionda, has deep seams and a four-panel design to fly more steadily and work well in wet weather.
- Goalkeepers are having trouble predicting the ball’s speed because of a sudden airflow change called the "drag crisis," which makes the ball go faster unexpectedly.
- Researchers tested the ball in a wind tunnel to better understand its flight behavior.
- The Vesuvius Challenge project uses digital scanning and machine learning to read ancient scrolls burned and buried by the Vesuvius volcanic eruption in Herculaneum.
- Over 660 scrolls were found in the villa’s library of a philosopher named Philodemus but have been fragile and difficult to open or read until now.
- The project aims to reveal new historical texts once thought lost forever.
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