Tuesday 25 August 2009

Welcome to my new blog...

Hello!

My name is David James and I am a sports engineer from Sheffield Hallam University in the UK. For the past nine years I have been working in a world leading research centre that has been developing new knowledge, new technologies and new products for the sports industry. Like many organisation's in our field, our aim is to engineer athletic performance. Essentially, we use what ever 'legal' technologies we have at our disposal to try to make our athletes perform better in whatever they're trying to do. We are one of only a couple of universities in the UK to be designated as a UK Sport Innovation Partner. This means that we are actively working across many sports in the build up to London 2012, using the latest engineering techniques in the quest for gold medals!

I am fascinated by some of the complex moral and ethical questions that our work raises. Is sports engineering as force for good or does it inherently promote unfair play? Does our work allow sports to stay relevant in a rapidly changing technological world or does it corrupt the traditions of incredible human endeavors? I have recently been awarded a prestigious fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering to allow me to explore some of these questions. This fellowship is also concerned with public engagement and developing a better understanding of what direction we 'the public' would like to see our sport take.

This blog is my personal reflection on my fellowship with the Royal Academy of Engineering. I will endeavor to respond to all current sporting controversies where science is at play and will keep you all up to date on my thoughts and findings from my research and public dialog events.

I hope you enjoy reading my posts and I look forward to receiving your comments!

2 comments:

  1. David,

    Definitely.. keep it coming. Don't stop writing. A blog is like a tree, it only grows as much as the amount of attention you put into it. If you have something really valuable to share, then more the better. :)


    -Ron
    http://cozybeehive.blogspot.com
    www.twitter.com/cyclingbee

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  2. Engineering is a great profession. There is the satisfaction of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of science to a plan on paper. Then it moves to realisation in stone or metal or energy. Then it brings homes to men or women. Then it elevates the standard of living and adds to the comforts of life. This is the engineer's high privilege.
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