Why don’t we bring all the science and technology into sports?

In 2008 and 2009, many world records were broken in swimming, but only with the help of polyurethane full-body swimsuits. Discuss the impact of advanced science and technology on sports and why we don’t want to adopt all of it because it undermines equality and humanity.

 

In 2008 and 2009, something unusual happened in the world of swimming. In those two years, 143 world records were set in swimming alone: 108 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 35 at the 2009 World Championships in Rome. Amazingly, all of these records were set by athletes wearing polyurethane full-body swimsuits developed in collaboration with Speedo and NASA. Polyurethane full-body swimsuits have helped athletes break records by providing superior buoyancy, reducing surface resistance, and reducing muscle fatigue. In 2010, the World Swimming Federation (FINA) banned the use of full-body swimsuits, categorizing them as technology doping (the unfair enhancement of an athlete’s performance with the help of science and technology).
Following the above examples, soccer has also recently seen controversy over the use of advanced science and technology in sports. Technology is increasingly replacing the role of referees in many sports, and the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has proven its effectiveness by introducing goal line readers at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil to help eliminate incorrect calls. Goal line readers use high-speed cameras to track the ball’s position in real-time and relay the ball’s location to the referee as soon as it crosses the goal line. This has sparked a debate among soccer fans about the need for additional real-time video replays to recognize fouls and penalties in complex, mixed situations. However, the soccer federations have reiterated that this is a “no go”. So, despite the benefits of science and technology, why is it that we don’t have it all in sports?
The first reason for limiting the use of technology is the equality of sport. Sports should be equal for everyone, young and old, male and female, from all walks of life. Of course, this equality is not unconditional. There is definitely a gap between the sports of major players and the sports of people playing soccer in their neighborhood. However, this gap should be small enough that those who aspire and aim for the majors don’t feel deprived. If the gap is too large, people will get tired of chasing after the object of their aspirations and turn their backs on it out of a sense of futility and deprivation. In other words, an egalitarian sport is one in which there is a moderate gap between the majors and the minors.
The introduction of advanced science and technology into sports increases this gap between the majors and minors, undermining the equality of the sport. Most minor sports don’t have access to polyurethane full-body swimsuits that take hours to put on, or goal-line readers that cost a fortune, so when these advanced technologies are applied to major sports and become the rule, major players and minor players are forced to play “different” sports. The question is, will the minors recognize this “difference” and play their own sport? I don’t think they will. Minorities are more likely to feel disenfranchised and disenfranchised by the mountain that stands between them and the major sport they are trying to emulate, and leave to find something else to aspire to. It’s like people chasing a broken dream and coming back to reality.
The second reason for limiting the introduction of science and technology into sports is the humanity of sports. Sports competitions test the limits of human capabilities. It’s debatable how much “human” includes science and technology that evolved from humans. Those who oppose the use of advanced science and technology in sports believe that individual competence should be prioritized over science and technology. They argue that if we don”t limit the use of science and technology, sports competitions could become a test of scientific and technological progress rather than a test of the limits of human capabilities.
Science is advancing very rapidly. In 2008 and 2009, two years in which world records were broken by polyurethane swimsuits that were labeled “technological doping,” spectators couldn’t help but feel a little uncomfortable. Why? Perhaps it’s because science and technology are advancing so rapidly that it’s hard to tell if you’re watching a human race or a technological one. Spectators may have felt dehumanized by science and technology that went beyond human capabilities in a sacred place that was supposed to test human capabilities. “In the end, what people want to see is a sport where people achieve something with only human abilities, with minimal interference from science and technology. In fact, we may be secretly afraid of science and technology invading the human realm.
This fear of dehumanization may be the reason why the soccer federation has decided not to introduce additional readers. It is true that advanced science and technology have brought many advancements to our society, and we have benefited from them. However, humans are naturally inclined to maintain their humanity. When science and technology invade our territory, we instinctively reject it. This is true not only for the introduction of advanced science and technology in sports, but also for a wide range of scientific and technological research. One example is embryonic stem cell research. The main reason given by opponents of embryonic stem cells is the issue of ethics. It”s a violation of human ethics, which means that it violates humanity. In other words, the introduction of advanced science and technology into sports and embryonic stem cell research are both seen as invasions of human territory. Sports are human. In a society where advanced science has become ubiquitous, sports may be the only way to maintain a minimum of humanity. At a time when we already rely on science and technology for so many things, why can’t sports be enjoyed in a traditional way that only “humans” can?
In the year 2024, humanity has made remarkable scientific advances. Science and technology have permeated every aspect of our lives and coexist with humans, but there is a clear line between humans and science and technology. Nothing reflects this better than sports. Sports are egalitarian and human. The reason why we don’t want to introduce all the science and technology into sports is because we want to preserve what makes it what it is: equality and humanity.