Schonbrun, Zach. "Keep Your Eye on the Balls to Become a Better Athlete." The New York Times. The New York
Times, 04 Jan. 2017. Web. 09 Jan. 2017. <http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/04/sports/neurotracker-athletic-performance.html?ribbon-ad-id%2Bx=4&rref=science&module=Ribbon&version=context®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Science&pgtype=article>.
Zack Schonbrun’s article,”Keep Your Eye on the Balls to Become a better athlete” was a piece based around the correlation between science and sports. Schonbrun explains how Jocelyn Faubert created a device called the NeuroTracker, which allows athletes to prepare themselves in no other way they have before: through neurological science. The video game allows athletes to improve their agility “the way lifting dumbbells develops muscles.” This game is so significant as it is like nothing seen before.” Just by asking the eyes to track spheres as they bound around a 3D screen, athletes can prepare their brains to perform in a way that no other film room could replicate.” Although the basis of the video game was to enhance agility and vision in athletes, the invention is also useful to people who suffer from ADHD. Skeptics have questioned NeuroTracker, yet facts have proven that it does enhance gameplay as Matt Ryan, NFL quarterback, says that he uses it 3 times a week and he is in contention to winning the NFL MVP award. He states,”I use it all year-round” as Ryan is looking to lead the Atlanta Falcons to the upcoming super bowl. Being an athlete myself and seeing the results and comments from professional athletes that the author incorporates allows me to understand the productivity of this invention and how it does in fact help people improve on and off the field.
NeuroTracker is a new and upcoming piece of technology that has the ability to enhance humans on and off the sports fields. Its use of neurological sciences allows people to reach their maximum potential in society. As stated before this new technology exercises the brain in a way not seen before that allows athletes and people with attention disorders such as ADHD to prosper and accel in their everyday lives.
Zack Schonbrun’s article, “Keep Your Eye on the Balls to Become a better athlete” obtained both good and bad things throughout the piece. Schonbrun did a good job including specific statements made by athletes and scientists that flowed well with the information. His use of pictures to break up the text and to give a visual sense of the topic was good as well. I would critique his repetition as I believe the article was much longer than necessary. To improve this I would state the necessary information and move on. Overall this was a well written piece as it was full of information that was broken up well by pictures which overall allowed the writing to flow smoothly and present the information.
I read Sophia's review of the article, "Keep Your Eye on the Balls to Become a Better Athlete." There were many aspects of the review that were well done. Firstly, she incorporated quotes which helped the review make more sense and elevated the level of her review. Next, Sophia's summary was very to the point and sophisticated. She didn't add any unnecessary phrases. The third aspect that Sophia did very well was explain that this technology can help athletes with their performance, and it is also helpful for people who suffer from ADHD.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Sophia's review was well done, there were some aspects that could have been improved. One aspect is she could have given more details on how the NeuroTracker works. She could have also explained how when athletes track spheres, it makes them better. Another aspect that she could have improved on is saying what the next steps for the device is. For example, will there be new advancements, or will more people be allowed to use this device?
Overall, Sophia's review was very well done. I chose this review because I am an athlete and am interested in learning more about this device and how it helps athletes and people with attention disorders.
Alexander Plaza
ReplyDeleteSchonbrun, Zach. "Keep Your Eye on the Balls to Become a Better Athlete." The New York Times. The New York Times, 04 Jan. 2017. Web. 09 Jan. 2017. .
Sophia, I read your review of “Keep Your Eye on the Balls to Become a Better Athlete.” by Zach Schonbrun and I thought that you did a decent job overall. I thought that you did a nice job at summarizing the article. You concisely explain an interesting title and I understand exactly what you're talking about when it comes to the NeuroTracker. I like that you use the example of Matt Ryan. You cite him saying ”I use it all year-round” and it proves the effectiveness and credibility of the NeuroTracker. Finally, I like that you connect very meaningfully with the reader. You provide alternative uses for the device including treatment of ADHD. You definitely grab the attention of the reader.
Although your article was very good, there are some aspects that you could improve on. First, I think you should include some specific instances from the article where you felt the author was repetitive. It would help your critique be more thorough. Also, I believe that you could improve some grammar and punctuation. There is one instance where you put in multiple quotation marks when they are not needed. A quick read through would eliminate these mistakes.
Overall I enjoyed your review and I was interested by the NeuroTracker. I will be following this subject closely because it might be applicable to me at some time as an athlete.
Allison Barker
ReplyDeleteCurrent Event Comment
AP Bio
1/20/17
Schonbrun, Zach. "Keep Your Eye on the Balls to Become a Better Athlete." The New York Times. The New York Times, 04 Jan. 2017. Web. 09 Jan. 2017. .
I read Sophia’s review of “Keep Your Eye on the Balls to Become a Better Athlete,” and I greatly enjoyed it. I appreciated that Sophie included quotes from athletes on how the game has improved their agility, as that allowed me to understand the impact of the new technology. I also liked that Sophie described an alternative use for the game, which is treating ADHD, as this provided insight into the scope of the effect that this technology could have on many people’s lives. I also appreciated that Sophia related the new technology back to herself, as this created a sense of connection between the science and the reader.
If I had to change a couple of things to make Sophia’s review even better, I would include statistical evidence as to whether the games work. The only evidence provided was anecdotal, which did not lend much credibility to the claim. Further, I would appreciate a more thorough description of how the game works. This would allow me to make informed opinions about the technology.
I was surprised to learn that video games can enhance athletic ability, as I had never considered this possibility before. Overall, I very much enjoyed this review and thought that it was incredibly informative.