Widely regarded as the toughest man in the NHL, Derek Boogaard was a gentle man off the ice but a merciless fighter on it. We'll explore Boogaard's unlikely journey from lumbering kid playing pond-hockey on the prairies of Saskatchewan, so big his skates would routinely break beneath his feet; to his teenaged junior hockey days, when one brutal outburst of violence brought Boogaard to the attention of professional scouts; to his days and nights as a star enforcer with the Minnesota Wild and the storied New York Rangers, capable of delivering career-ending punches and intimidating entire teams. But behind the scenes Boogaard's injuries and concussions were mounting and his mental state was deteriorating, culminating in his early death from an overdose of alcohol and painkillers.
Boogaard's story raises deep and disturbing questions about the systemic brutality of contact sports-from peewees to professionals-and the damage that reaches far beyond the game and does so more quickly and at younger ages than has ever been suspected. We'll discuss the current science and technology being used to diagnose and detect these injuries and what that may mean to the future of these sports.
Speakers:
John Branch, Pulitzer Prize-winning sports reporter for The New York Times
Dr. Joel Kramer, Professor of Neuropsychology in Neurology and Director of the Memory and Aging Center Neuropsychology Program, UC San Francisco
Dr. David Camarillo, Assistant Professor of Bioengineering and Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University
Moderator, Katie Baker, Grantland
Café Scientifique events are open to all free of charge. No reservations are necessary.
Sponsored by Altos Therapeutics and SRI, Café Scientifique is a place where anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology and debate science issues outside a traditional academic context. We meet monthly to discuss a variety of science topics. Feel free to forward this message to anyone you think could be interested.
Join us at SRI in Menlo Park
We are delighted that SRI International is the host location for Cafe Scientifique. SRI is an excellent partner, providing us with a beautiful, large, flexible meeting space, supporting us with highly professional staff and making expert researchers available as guest speakers.
Coffee, tea and biscotti will be complimentary, provided by SRI
Bring your own mug if you wish to avoid using disposable cups.
Café Scientifique is a place where anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology. The Café provides a forum for debating science issues outside a traditional academic context. We are committed to promoting public engagement with science and to making science accountable – all spoken in plain English. There is no admission charge to attend our events. Building on its great success outside the United States, Café Scientifique Silicon Valley is the first such Café on the West Coast. We meet monthly to discuss a variety of science topics.
