Tag Archives: Newcastle University Medical School

The Science of the Winter Olympics

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As the Winter Olympics draws to a close this weekend, scientist and Newcastle Graduate Ambassador, Ashleigh, takes us through some of the most interesting sports science stories of the games.

Science is becoming more and more important in sport as our understanding of sport and technology improves. The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics have highlighted the importance and more evident involvement of science in sport, Brian Cox even narrated the opening montage of the BBC’s sports coverage.

Here’s 10 of our favourite sport and exercise science stories from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic games…

  1. One big story recently has been the Russian doping scandal, banning the Russian team from competing. Scientific America look at how doping is carried out in the Olympics.

https://aws.scientificamerican.com/article/the-scientific-american-guide-to-cheating-in-the-olympics/

Some Russian athletes have been able to compete representing Olympic Athletes from Russia rather than The Russian team.

  1. Although after bans are completed most athletes usually return to competing, this blog post describes how drugs such as steroids can have a lasting effect on athletes even after athletes stop using them.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-olympic-motto-cellular-memories-and-the-epigenetic-effects-of-doping/


  1. Why are so many people game to throw themselves off the side of a mountain standing on couple of skinny planks of wood? This blog dives into the attraction of the adrenaline pumping winter sports.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/absolutely-maybe/no-guts-no-glory-the-fear-and-attraction-of-risky-winter-sports/

Eddie the Eagle became an unlikely British hero after signing up to the 1988 Winter Olympics to compete in the Ski Jump (without much success) despite his limited experience!

  1. Winter Olympics are seen as some of the more dangerous sports but statistics show that the fairly leisurely sport of curling has more recorded injuries at the Olympics than Ski Jumping!

https://aws.scientificamerican.com/article/leg-head-injuries-frequent-at-olympics/


  1. Protective helmets are a common feature in the games but the high levels of injury also mean that more time and money is being spent on athlete safety. We could even see some athletes sporting airbags at the games!

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jan/21/pyeongchang-2018-technology-innovations-winter-olympics-5g-mips-helmets-smartsuit

  1. Meteorologists predicted this was going to be the coldest Olympics yet! The new technology even stretched to the outfits the teams would be wearing, with electric blanket style coats to stay warm!

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/olympic-clothing-designers-try-to-beat-the-cold-with-technology/

  1. Great Britain’s clothing even caused a bit of a “cheating” scandal. Their suits had been designed to reduce drag by adding ridges, giving similar aerodynamics to a golf ball. Luckily it was decided that the suit was allowed and Team GB went on to win a Gold and Bronze medal in the women’s Skeleton event.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/winter-olympics/2018/02/14/team-gb-defend-winter-olympics-skeleton-suits-amid-questions/

  1. If you’ve ever been ice skating and had to cling onto the side of the wall, you may think figure skating looks impossible. This article describes how practicing figure skating can rewire the brain to overcome that fear of falling flat on your face.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/go-figure-why-olympic-ice-skaters-dont-fall-flat-on-their-faces/

  1. The US winter Olympic team have also been training their brains, using brain stimulation and virtual reality equipment. Sports scientists believe this will optimise the training gains.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/winter-olympics/42572433


  1. And finally, it turns out everyone’s favourite winter Olympic sport is also a marvel of physics!

https://www.inverse.com/article/41383-winter-olympics-2018-researchers-answered-curling-question

Found this interesting? Check out Newcastle University’s Sport and Exercise Science degree here.

Mini-Medical School at the Faculty of Medical Sciences

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Our friends over at the Faculty of Medical Sciences hold an annual series of interactive lectures and practical sessions over six weeks, open to anyone aged 15+ known as Mini Medical School. The aim of the programme is to offer the public an opportunity to find out about current research developments at the university and to learn more about clinical approaches and practices. We asked Heworth Grange student Kate Gordon, 16 to give us her account of the sessions:

I recently attended Newcastle University’s Mini Medical School of 2017. I was overjoyed when I received the confirmation email to say I had a place, however, I didn’t realise just how interesting and beneficial it would be.

“One of the best experiences I’ve had”

When I first arrived I was met by a member of the university team. They were so lovely and pleasant which made my friend and me feel comfortable and welcomed there in their facilities. Not to mention, the great variation of snacks that they provided each week!

On the first week we had Forensic Psychologist, Dr Gavin Oxburgh, speak to us about his part in helping the police with their enquiries. This was the best week for me, as I am very interested in Psychology and it offered insights into a new career path for me later in life. Gavin taught us about offender profiles and how to detect if a person is being deceitful. He also made us think of the circumstances of why people would lie. I really loved this session and even though it was quite a serious topic he made it light-hearted and engaging throughout.

On the second week of my visit Professor Louise Robinson taught us about dementia. This was very interesting for me as quite a lot of my family members suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. We learnt about the 3 different stages and how to prevent memory disorders.

On week 3 we learnt about prescribing drugs and how it’s revolutionised over the years. Dr Adam Todd presented this amazingly and made the topic very humorous. He taught us about opioids and how dangerous they can be. I really loved this session.

During week 4 of mini medical school we were presented with a session about kidney transplantation. As I had already learnt about this topic in biology it really helped as I was able to understand more. We discovered how dialysis has changed throughout the past 50 years and the newer alternatives. This helped me learn a lot more than I already knew.

On the fifth week the topic was named “Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll” this was a good name for the session as it was unknown to what we we’re going to talk about until we arrived. In this session we spoke about HIV and the treatment possible, along with all the other topics we looked at how it’s changed throughout the years. I really liked this evening as Dr Christopher Duncan and Dr Ewan Hunter included humour as well as knowledge.

“There was a range of subjects for everyone which was brilliant as it enabled anyone to participate”

I then attended a mini medical school practical, I chose the topic of Psychology. My day was split into two, first we looked at how the brain worked and the certain areas of it. In the second part we looked at eating disorders and the psychology behind it, for me that was so interesting as it really opened my eyes how to recognise it early, not in only myself but my peers too.

On the sixth and final week we talked about sun protection and dermatological skin problems. The speakers were amazing and worked so well as a team, they told us that even the most famous celebrities suffer from skin diseases such as acne, psoriasis, etc. We also completed a quiz on how to detect cancerous moles, a very helpful technique to use in life. I found this session very interesting and a great way to end the course.

Overall, the Mini Medical School is one of the best experiences I’ve had. I have loved every single minute of it and learnt so much from attending the sessions, it was very enjoyable and didn’t seem like a chore each week – I’m looking forward to next year!

 

To be added to the mailing list for next years Mini-Medical School, please email minimedicalschool@ncl.ac.uk