CoolHand writes:
"Sci-Tech Today talks about the role of technology in the Olympics from a unique perspective:
Every advance in the ever-accelerating juggernaut of sports technology threatens to widen the divide between Olympic haves and have-nots. Well-sponsored teams and rich governments pay top-end scientists and engineers to shape their skis, perfect their skates, tighten their suits, measure their gravitational pull.
I'm no luddite, but this seems to make these sports more about who can afford the best tech, and less about the true spirit of the games: bringing the best athletes from all countries together to compete. How can it be about the athletes, when some of the best athletes may never win due to lack of funding/tech?"
(Score: 1) by duvel on Tuesday February 18 2014, @08:13PM
I understand the view of it being unfair, that having superior financial and technical means increases your odds for success in the Olympics.
On the other hand, considering that most of us reading this site are probably more familiar with advanced technology than with advanced (or even rudimentary) competitive sports, one could say that winners created by technological superiority are (finally) a way for us nerds to have a positive impact on sports. If a bobsled race is won in the wind-tunnel, rather than by the team pushing and driving the sled, we may finally start dreaming about earning respect (and salaries) on the level that currently only professional athletes have.
Yes, I know, 'start dreaming'.
This Sig is under surveilance by the NSA
(Score: 2, Informative) by carguy on Tuesday February 18 2014, @09:27PM
Going back to the early thread on car racing, even in NASCAR there is a great deal of engineering behind the scenes. While the cars are controlled very carefully to be similar, most of the winners come from a few top teams. These are the teams with large engineering staffs (50-100 engineers). The same teams also receive engineering assistance from the car manufacturers.
Watching from the inside (as a nerd), it does get a little frustrating when the NASCAR marketing does its very best to hide or deny the effect that engineering has on the results. But we do have a big effect on the outcomes.
Back to your bobsled example, the US bobsleds have had a lot of input from Geoff Bodine, a NASCAR driver who brought in his engineer friends to help.