A flurry of Olympic activity is everywhere this week, so I’m sure you’re having no trouble finding it.
A couple things of particular interest, though.
Almost 100% artificial snow?
This is the first Winter Games to use almost 100% artificial snow. Dozens of snow generators and hundreds of snowblowers to create 1.2 million cubic meters of powder (or about 42.4 million cubic feet).
I did a little calculation of my own. That much snow weighs somewhere between 132,218,112 – 185,190,112 pounds! [Yes, there’s an app for that which you can find here.]
Triple Toe. Triple Lutz. Triple Salchow?
We love the jumps in Olympic figure skating but why is the quadruple axel the hardest figure skating jump?
Do the Athletes Make any Money?
The International Olympic Committee does not pay prize money to medalists, but many countries offer monetary rewards to their athletes for the number of medals they win at either the Summer Olympics or Winter Olympics.
Is it too late to move to Singapore to start an Olympic bobsledding team?
A.I. & the Metrics of Sports
I’ve always been fascinated by the increasingly sophisticated ways in which sports organizations measure performance, both professionally and in college.
In part, it’s because I wonder when businesses and other organizations might start applying some of those tools to measure performance and productivity rather than the traditional and often meaningless measures currently used.
And, as if the NFL needs more statistics, a new A. I. tool from Amazon will measure the “Passing Score” to assess a quarterbacks performance on every play.
The expectation is that this is just the beginning of where these tools can be applied.
I wonder how we’ll do when that measure creeps into the workplace?
How about me? Can I play?
The good news is that games are not just for the other gal … and you don’t have to be a professional.
Here’s what a few psychologists say about Why playing games is good for you.
Read more articles from the Sword Tips Newsletter – February 17, 2022 – Edition
