olympics

Erythropoietin: Ticket to the Olympics or Recipe for Disaster?

Daniela Padres — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 16:00:52 +0000

What if I told you that a simple one letter change in your DNA could have landed you seven Olympic gold medals? You’re right, it’s probably a little more complicated than this. But winners of this genetic lottery, like Olympic cross-country skier Eero Manytrata, have a natural tendency to perform better in aerobic sports. What exactly was it that gave Eero Manytrata an unequivocal advantage?

Is there a difference between real snow and "artificial snow"?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 15:29:52 +0000

Snow-making machines actually make tiny beads of ice, each one about one ten-thousandth of an inch in diameter. Water is sprayed from a hose together with compressed air. The air is needed because as it quickly expands, its temperature drops since it has to do work by pushing away air molecules. This cooling helps freeze the water. As the water freezes, it releases heat. This should be obvious when we realize that in order to melt ice, we have to add heat. The heat released is then taken up by the expanding compressed air. This is why the "snow-making" pipes are always high in the air. If t

Why do curlers sweep?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 22:17:40 +0000

Just about any subject becomes more interesting with a deeper dive. That is certainly the case for curling, a sport that is a mystery to many and unfortunately often the butt of jokes. However, it is a sport that has a rich history, one that features strategy, athleticism, good sportsmanship, and plenty of science!

Can Nike's New Shoes Really Make You Run Faster?

Ada McVean B.Sc. — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 17:26:58 +0000

A New York Times’ study of 500,000 race times, set wearing Vaporflys and other shoes, confirmed Nike’s claims. They found that Vaporflys allowed a runner to run 1% faster than the next-fastest shoe, and 3-4% faster than a similarly skilled runner running in different shoes.