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PRACTICE DOESN’T MAKE PERFECT
The New Yorker: Zach Hambrick has always been fascinated by exceptional performance, or what he calls “the extremes of human capabilities.” Growing up, he’d devour Guinness World Records, noting the feats it described and picturing himself
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Why all the practice in the world can’t turn you into an Olympian
The Washington Post: Practice makes perfect. It’s a mantra we hear all our lives, from simple refrains in kindergarten to the more nuanced versions that populate self-help books. It’s everywhere at this year’s Olympic Games
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Olympic Victory And Defeat, Frame By Frame
NPR: It may sound trite, but the Olympic Games truly are a chance to witness what unites us all as human beings: Our joy in triumph and our anguish in defeat. David Matsumoto believes this
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The Science Behind #Phelpsface
Outside: Prior to Monday’s 200-meter butterfly semifinals, NBC’s cameras caught Michael Phelps sitting alone in a corner, headphones on, with the meanest of mugs. As soon as Phelps finished the event—securing a spot in the finals, which
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Why bronze medalists are happier than silver medalists, and other things the Olympics teaches us about human emotions
The Washington Post: The Olympics is a laboratory for testing the limits of human strength and endurance. But it serves as a laboratory for other types of experiments, too. One such experiment has been helping researchers
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No One Wins Gold for Practicing the Most
Scientific American: Is it safe to assume that a gold medalist at the Olympics practiced more than a silver medalist—and that a silver medalist practiced more than a bronze winner? Definitely not, according to a
