Share this Story : National Post Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

Raymond J. de Souza: Forget the double touch, science doesn't know why rocks curl

There is something attractive in not knowing exactly how curling works

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Olympic curling’s raging controversy, with Canadians in the unusual role of foul-mouthed villains, seems to have been put on ice. The special umpires summoned into action on Saturday to watch for the dreaded “double touch” were gone by Monday. The last time there was such careful attention to fingers on stone in Italy Michelangelo was sculpting the Pietà.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.

Unlimited online access to National Post.

National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Support local journalism.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.

Unlimited online access to National Post.

National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.

Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.

Support local journalism.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.

Enjoy additional articles per month.

Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments

Enjoy additional articles per month

Get email updates from your favourite authors

Sign In or Create an Account

Curlers are already musing that all the attention might do the sport some good. When the Brier, Canada’s men curling championship, was last in Kingston, I bought tickets so my parishioners could attend all the matches over ten days. Outside Canada, interest is not quite so intense. But now allegations of cheating against the Canadians have made curling click bait! People were talking semi-knowledgably about the hog line.

Raymond J. de Souza: Forget the double touch, science doesn't know why rocks curl Back to video

There has even been attention paid to a matter which has heated up in recent years, namely the physics of curling. Serious scholars have tracked rocks from hack to house, and pronounced that — like the big bang and black holes and the nature of light and quantum mechanics — there is something of a mystery here. We know how to make the rocks curl — Canadians are amongst the best in the world at that — but we don’t know exactly........

© National Post