The Science Behind the Sport

It’s Superbowl Sunday in America. We here at Nautilus love beer, wings, and adorable commercials featuring puppies as much as the next person, but we also like to know how things work. If you’re like us, you do, too. So, take a break from the big game and enjoy this look at some of the science behind the sport of football. 1. Odell Beckham’s Helping Hands—the Tech Behind the Catch By Claire Cameron It was the catch that broke the Internet. In a game against the Dallas Cowboys last week, rookie wide receiver for the New York Giants Odell Beckham Jr. launched himself into the air backwards, arm outstretched, and managed to catch a pass using one hand—actually just the tips of a thumb and two fingers—to score a touchdown. The Giants would go on to lose the game, but compared to the catch, no one seemed to care about that. The catch has gotten millions of online views and social-media mentions, and has been hailed as a near-miraculous feat of skill and athleticism, both by fans and other pro athletes. READ MORE 2. New Football Helmets Take a Page From Nuclear-Plant Safety By Amos Zeeberg In 2012, Tim Shaw was still living the rarefied, enviable life of an NFL player. He’d played in college, in Penn State’s storied program, then got drafted, and did his most productive work with the Tennessee Titans, becoming their special-teams captain in 2011 and 2012. But around the end of the year, his body started acting strangely: His muscles twitched, his balance was off. The next year, at age 29, he got cut, having played the last football of his life. READ MORE 3. To Understand Religion, Think Football Sacred beliefs likely arose out of prehistoric bonding and rituals. By Steve Paulson The invention of religion is a big bang in human history. Gods and spirits helped explain the unexplainable, and religious belief gave meaning and purpose to people struggling to survive. But what if everything we thought we knew about religion was wrong? What if belief in the supernatural is window dressing on what really matters—elaborate rituals that foster group cohesion, creating personal bonds that people are willing to die for. READ MORE To really curl up with Nautilus, subscribe today and get your copy of our Winter 2015 Nautilus Quarterly. It includes new features, some of our best online content, and pages of sumptuous illustration. Join us on a journey of surprises.