Science of the Winter Olympics - Mathletes

It's been called "the Queen of Sciences"--mathematics. It might not be as obvious in Olympic sports as physics or materials-engineering, but math--from simple arithmetic to calculus--is part of every jump, every spin, every move the athletes make on snow or ice. Mathematician Edward Burger from Williams College explains why math counts. NBC Learn, the educational arm of NBC News, has teamed up with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to produce Science of the Olympic Winter Games, a 16-part video series that explores the science behind individual Olympic events, including Downhill and Aerial Skiing, Speed Skating and Figure Skating, Curling and Hockey, and Ski Jumping, Bobsledding and Snowboarding. This groundbreaking project between the NSF and NBC Learn uses the global spotlight of the Olympics to make science more accessible and more interesting to students by showing how science helps athletes fulfill the Olympic motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius--Swifter, Higher, Stronger. Read more about the "Science of the Olympic Winter Games" at http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/olympics/.