Atmosphere: The Science of Football

eireann.org

---

A t m o s p h e r e
Science for a Successful Ireland
http://www.science.ie

Issue 10 - May 2002

THIS MONTH:
1)...News - Ireland's Youngest Scientists Display Creations
2)...Eat Football, Sleep Football, Scientifically Investigate Football
3)...Events - Practical Workshop for Biology Teachers

A t m o s p h e r e is the free monthly Science, Technology and
Innovation ezine from science.ie.

If you find this ezine useful, please forward it to a friend.
___________________________________________________
==============================================
* How to Subscribe *
Subscribing is easy, simply send an email to
mailto:subscribe@science.ie with 'subscribe' as the subject.
==============================================

1)...N E W S A N D I N F O

>>>UNIVERSITY PILOT PROGRAMME ENCOURAGES STUDENTS INTO SCIENCE
Two years ago, 60 students from disadvantaged backgrounds
started the University of Ulster's Step-Up project. At the time,
only 2% said they would go into Third Level education. Two years
later, 98% of the youngsters have applied for science courses.
http://www.science.ie/news_info/index_articles.html


>>>IRELAND'S YOUNGEST SCIENTISTS DISPLAY CREATIONS
Dancing Raisins, dyeing with Red Cabbage, acrobatic clowns? Just
some of the amazing scientific activities that local schoolchildren
have been working on since the inception of Primary Science Clubs.
http://www.science.ie/news_info/index_articles.html


>>>SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATOR AS CAREERS ROLE MODEL
Lisa Mooney provides hands-on science workshops and interactive
shows to primary and secondary schools throughout Ireland.
http://www.science.ie/careers/index_rolemodel.html


>>>FIRST MEETING OF IRISH COUNCIL FOR BIOETHICS
The Irish Council for Bioethics, an independent body established
to consider the ethical issues raised by developments in
biotechnology, met for the first time in May.
http://www.biotechinfo.ie/content/content.asp?section_id=179&language_id=1


>>>178 MILLION EURO PLAN TO BOOST STUDENT INTEREST IN SCIENCE
A new 178 million Euro programme to help boost student interest
in science has been proposed by a Government task force.
http://www.science.ie/news_info/index_articles.html

More Science and Technology Headlines at:
http://www.science.ie/news_info/index.html
___________________________________________________
==============================================
* Fact of the Month *
The term 'electron' was coined in Ireland. Irish scientist Dr.
George Stoney first proposed the term at an RDS lecture in 1891.
Eight years later he became winner of the first Boyle Medal.
==============================================

2)...EAT FOOTBALL, SLEEP FOOTBALL, SCIENTIFICALLY INVESTIGATE FOOTBALL

Aerodynamics, biomechanics and other aspects of science influence
everything from a footballer's diet to the design of the ball.

The modern football consists of 20 white hexagonal and 12 black
pentagonal surfaces which, when sewn together and inflated, make a
near perfect sphere. This design is based on the Buckminster Ball
- a structure originated by the American architect Richard
Buckminster Fuller when he made the world's first geodesic dome.
Similarly shaped carbon-60 molecules, known as bucky balls, were
first produced in 1985 and are potentially very important to
further development of science and technology.

A football's size, construction, weight and pressure, all affect
the way it responds in play. Scientific papers have even been
written on the flight characteristics of the football as a function
of ball variables (including spin). For instance, mechanical theory
tells us that the aerodynamic forces of drag and lift acting on the
ball will cause it to alter its flight path. When combined with spin,
the effect can be dramatic, to the extent that the use of ball spin
becomes a vital game tactic.

Watching such a phenomenon is not only exciting, but can be good for
our health. Scottish researchers have shown that there are 14% fewer
emergency psychiatric admissions in the weeks after the World Cup
tournament than before it starts.

BBC Science of Football:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/football/ball.shtml

How the Physics of Football Works:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/physics-of-football.htm

Papers on the biomechanics of soccer equipment and performances:
http://www.education.ed.ac.uk/soccer/
___________________________________________________
==============================================
* Link of the Month *
Global average temperatures have warmed about one degree
Fahrenheit since 1900. The ten warmest years on record have
occurred since 1983, seven of them since 1990. This map
illustrates the local consequences of global warming.
http://www.climatehotmap.org/
==============================================

3)...E V E N T S

Climate Change: Challenges for Ireland
First Conference of the Irish Committee on Climate Change (ICCC)
Wed 12 June, National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin 9
Registration Fee: 40 Euro (25 Euro students/unwaged)
>>>http://www.ria.ie/ICCC/News.html

International Practical Workshop For Biology Teachers
"Cells, molecules and modern biology". A unique chance to learn
state-of-the-art molecular biology that is transferable to the
classroom. 5 - 6 July, European Molecular Biology Laboratory,
Heidelberg, Germany. Irish participants would be appreciated.
>>>http://www.embo.org/projects/scisoc/teachers.html
___________________________________________________
==============================================

...W H A T T O D O T H I S M O N T H

Read...
'The Science of Soccer'. By J. Wesson, published May 2002.
Scientific curiosity meets 'the beautiful game'. An invaluable
insight to players, fans and students of sport science.
Costs £14.99 sterling, available from:
http://bookmarkphysics.iop.org/

Listen...
'Frontiers'. Examining the latest research into particle physics,
conducted with a highly sensitive telescope to detect neutrinos
released from the sun during nuclear reactions.
>>>BBC Radio 4 FM (92–95 FM), 21:00 Wed 5 June

Listen...
'The Material World'. How green chemists are challenging industry to
devise more environmentally friendly mass-produced consumer goods.
>>>BBC Radio 4 FM (92–95 FM), 16:30 Thur 6 June

Play...
'Robot Constructor'. Your mission is to construct virtual robots
which can successfully navigate a variety of hostile zones. You
can also read about the science and technology behind the robots.
>>>http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/R/robots/index.html

___________________________________________________
==============================================
Next Issue - June 2002
http://www.science.ie/

Please feel free to forward this ezine to friends or colleagues.

Send feedback and suggestions to mailto:info@science.ie

To subscribe, send an email to mailto:subscribe@science.ie
with 'subscribe' as the subject.

To unsubscribe, send an email to mailto:subscribe@science.ie
with 'unsubscribe' as the subject.

Science.ie and the A t m o s p h e r e ezine are part of
Ireland's Science, Technology and Innovation Awareness Programme,
managed by Forfás on behalf of the Office of Science and Technology.
==============================================
Forfas, Wilton Park House, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland
t: +353 (0)1 607 3000 | e: mailto:info@science.ie

---

Copyright (c) Forfás 2002