sports

The Score

X, X, The Magical Fruit

A specially engineered fruit could increase muscle power by more than half, but researchers are keeping mum

An apple a day might keep away more than the doctor. HortResearch, a New Zealand company with 400 scientists studying all things fruit, has early data that suggests a specific (mystery) fruit can delay fatigue by 20 percent and increase muscle power by 70 percent. But don't raid the produce aisle quite yet. Hort won't say which fruit has shown the benefits and also notes their version is a variety bred internally for the right compound interactions. In other words, for those of use not lucky enough to be Hort test subjects, it doesn't exist.

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In Making NCAA Picks, a Statistical Model Proves Most Accurate

Georgia Tech statisticians use Markov chains for a combined 83 percent accuracy over the past nine tournaments. Who is the computer favorite this year?

In poker, it is well known that playing the odds will net you more wins than losses, but it won’t make you a top player. For that, you need an unquantifiable ability to read the other players at the table and decipher their emotional state when they make bets. Just the opposite is proving to be true when it comes to betting on winners in the NCAA tournament. Engineering professors at the Georgia Institute of Technology have demonstrated that statistics accurately inform success in the tournament. Most people’s picks are based largely on emotional inference, they say, which leads to inaccurate choices.

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The Score

O Coach, miCoach!

An innovative coaching system gives Nike and Apple a run for their money

Nike is to Apple, as Adidas is to . . . Samsung? In the race to make people run, Adidas is gaining steam with this week's European release of miCoach. Like the iPod-based Nike + system, at the heart of miCoach lies a Samsung phone that similarly follows your progress and motivates your workout.

The phone wirelessly tracks data from a chest strap heart rate monitor and a stride sensor that hooks onto your laces (an advantage over Apple's system since it lets you keep your sneakers). Workouts are built and analyzed on a full-service website complete with graphic data and recommendations for your fitness objectives.

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The Score

An Extra Dimension for Sports

Rugby is the latest game to follow a growing trend of 3-D broadcasts

This is probably the first and last reporting on rugby you’ll see from Popular Science, but when you broadcast a sport live in 3-D (while serving alcohol) some coverage is deserved. On Saturday, a select group of executives got to watch the battle between England and Scotland in three dimensions on a movie screen in West London. For the English in attendance, the extra-vivid depiction of a 15–9 loss to the Scots likely required additional pints, but more importantly spoke to a larger trend in making live 3-D broadcasts a reality. The 2007 NBA All-Star game was similarly telecast in an extra dimension for a few privileged viewers last year while U2 even offers their first 3-D concert to cost-conscious fans via video.

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The Score

FIFA Picks Man Over Machine

Soccer's governing body surprises its fans and partners by opting for extra refs instead of higher tech

In an unexpected move, the International Federation of Association Football, soccer’s governing body, this week pulled the plug on plans to implement a state-of-the-art scoring system. Instead of introducing the dual technologies—a sidelines camera and in-ball chip—officials have opted for a decidedly low-tech solution for better determining whether a goal was scored: two additional linesmen.

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Statheads Speak: Derek Jeter, You Stink!

Despite the three gold gloves, multiple forms of statistical analysis show that "the Captain" is the worst-fielding shortstop in the Majors

Once upon a time, the only fielding statistic listed on the back of baseball cards was fielding percentage, a simple calculation of the number of assists and putouts a player records divided by total chances.

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U.S. Open Instant Replay: Total Accuracy, Major Fun

The new Hawk-Eye Tennis Officiating System is bringing high drama and high tech to the tradition-bound tournament

For a closer look at how the Hawk-Eye works, launch the photo gallery by clicking 'View Photos' at left.

Its accuracy may be based on a complex computer-generated algorithm, but the Hawk-Eye Tennis Officiating System is ratcheting up the human drama at this year's U.S. Open. Rather than simply relying on officials to make line calls, the entire crowd now acts as referee, hollering "Challenge!" after controversial judgements.

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Diesel Wins Respect

Think diesel is stinky and slow? This history-making 220mph racecar aims to prove you wrong. Click inside for video

See a cool promotional video put together by Audi, featuring a time-lapse construction of the R10 TDI. Click here

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Ball Bearings

PopSci's GM hunts for lost golf balls with a new radar gadget

We gadget editors were intrigued by the idea of RadarGolf, a new device that allows players to home in on special balls equipped with radar chips, but none of us actually knows how to play golf. Luckily, our esteemed general manager, Rob Novick (handicap 17), was willing to take a swing at reviewing it for us. Here's what he had to say:

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Auto Review: The 2006 Porsche Cayman S

The latest addition to Porsche's stable of sportscars may just be the sexiest yet

It's heresy to 911 worshippers to say so, but the new Cayman S is suddenly the most beautiful car in Porsche's lineup. It's a Boxster coupe, basically a midengine two-seater with a fair amount of new body metal and interior appointments. But in reverse engineering a coupe from a roadster, Porsche managed to avoid both the slightly lumpy engine butt of the 911 and the too-symmetrical stance of the Boxster. The Cayman's high roofline swoops back and down between the gorgeous haunches of the rear fenders, and a walkabout reveals that the whole car is a fugue of aggressive curving lines.

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