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Weekend


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May 28, 2004

Strange But True!

  • A weekly column of incidental information, off-the-wall observations and other random facts about the world.
    • By BILL SONES and RICH SONES, Ph.D.
    Special to the Journal

    Q.  On football kickoffs, opposing players fly at each other madly, at speeds around 30 mph between them.  What keeps them from getting injured (usually)?

    A.  Two things basically: (1) collisions that are generally more glancing than head on, and (2) the modern football helmet, with rubber foam cushioning inside a plastic shell made of stuff used in bulletproof shields, says Edward Becker, executive director of the Snell Memorial Foundation, which develops helmet safety standards.  (No, the helmets are not themselves bulletproof.)


     
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