New Scientist: Football Science

The World Cup began in Germany, and New Scientist presents our favorite scientific publications about the "beautiful game". Incredible provisions outside the game, ideal boots and the only color for winners this season. (Full text on the website inopressa.ru ),

The composition of the participants, the results and schedule

1. The most exciting sport

A mathematical study published in January 2006 ("Surprises make football with the best sport") confirms that millions of fans have already suspected: football is not only the best sport, but also the most exciting. If, of course, to measure the excitement with a “rash frequency” or the likelihood that the notebook will beat his favorite team. In this case, football worries more than baseball, basketball or hockey.

2. Forecasting the winners

If you cannot wait five weeks and 64 matches to find out who will win, there are mathematical formulas that promise to name the winner in advance ("Formula for success at the World Cup", Guardian). This formula predicts the best chances of Brazil, followed by France, Germany and Holland. But England takes ninth place in the list of favorites, perhaps there is a serious defect in the formula.

Although it will be good, even if England performs poorly. The statistical study of 2005 (“Victory is good, but the defeat is safer”) shows that the probability that the fans will rage and apply injuries to each other below, if their team loses.

3. Violent behavior

Another way to cope with aggressive fans is the speaker system developed in the Netherlands. Scientists have found that introducing a light echo to chant the crowd so much that she can no longer scream in unison ("Scandration of hooligans falls silent because of the echo").

4. Red - the color of the winners

Studies promise to give managers and players an advantage over opponents. For example, scientists from the British University of Darem in May 2005 published a job that states that the best chances of victory for the one who plays red ("if you want to win, your color is red"). 5. Ideal boots

There are many innovative ideas in the field of football ammunition. Production technology, known as laser swimming, may soon be used for boots that are perfect for players ("shoes by individual measurement sits perfectly"). And the “smart” material of the D3O, which is usually flexible, but becomes solid from the blow, can be used to improve goalkeeper gloves and other protective equipment (“skiers receive smart armor”).

6. Pinok in shorts

Another incredible idea is a “gaptic sports ammunition” containing solenoids that can push or pull the athlete lightly during training. Such clothes can say that this or that technique is performed incorrectly, make it clear which muscles group should strain ("Clothing gives athletes of the pin").

7. Eye in the sky

Behind the scenes of the current championship, several new information technologies will be tested. Observation networks will monitor the stadiums, and sites will conduct a live broadcast of games, as well as news and discussions ("Feast of Information Technologies at the World Cup", Zdnet News).

8. Impossible provisions outside the game

This is not news for fans and players. A study conducted in Holland in 2000 suggests that erroneous decisions are inevitable. The reason is that the judge cannot follow the player and the ball at the same time ("Judges cannot help but make mistakes").

9. Follow the twisted ball

The work published by scientists of the Royal University of Belfast in March 2006 suggests that our vision cannot predict the trajectory of the ball flying along the curve. This is bad news for goalkeepers dealing with free blows of David Beckham and Roberto Carlos ("rotation deceives vision").

10. The head of the head

Scientific research shed light on injuries specific to football. The head of the head leads to injuries of the neck ("touch the head with the ball causes pain in the neck"). This sport increases the risk of motor neurons ("Football is associated with the disease of motor neurons").

11. Football of robots

Probably, in the long run, they will force robots instead of people. They have already learned how to play table football (“Robots are going on the table football field”), and some robots have already turned out to be worthy opponents (“Segways robots play football with people”).