Latest news with #JamesO'Donoghue
Irish Examiner
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
'What we are finding in our research, a lot of players are two-sided because of their parents'
James O'Donoghue, Colm Cooper, Declan O'Sullivan, David Clifford. Each of them awesome Kerry forwards, all cross-lateral. In plain terms, cross lateral refers to people whose hand and foot dominance are not uniformly right- or left-sided. Right-handed and left-footed, or vice-versa. It's not just a fun fact. This physical trait gave them an advantage. 'There are practical reasons it is beneficial,' says Karol Dillon, a Postgraduate Researcher in UL. His research interest is developing two-sided players in Gaelic football. The Kerry native recently presented at the Motor Skill Acquisition Conference in Finland and had a paper approved for publication in the Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition journal. 'They are right-handed, left-footed. When they start kicking first with their non-dominant foot, they are at a practical advantage because of it.' From day one, players at all levels are urged to develop their non-dominant side. But do we truly understand how? Does everyone realise why? Take tactics. Teams who typically pass and shoot off the same side are predictable. A predictable team is easy to plan against. 'If you have two midfielders who are heavily right footed in a kicking team, that ball is more than likely going to go to the 13 channel. 'It should be said, when you review a game or a play, ball retention does not mean it was the right option. Kicking the ball over the bar does not mean it was the right option. What if there was a goal on? 'What we are finding, guys are getting the ball, going to their dominant foot and then looking up. Instead of getting the ball, surveying first and then delivering. 'To me, laterality dictates everything on a pitch. It dictates where you run, forwards make their runs not according to space but to get to the best position to get onto their dominant foot. 'Bilaterality is really about using the appropriate limb in a given context. That is why I have reservations about ten-minute blocks in training. To improve bilaterality, you need to improve decision making. 'We want to go back and examine why Liam Silke kicked a point off his left from 35 yards out early in an All-Ireland final but turned down his a shot on his left in the final few minutes? "It is about decision-making under pressure. That is across sports. Under pressure, players do revert to their dominant side.' Read More Fogarty Forum: The problem with the shorter hurley Dillon has been working with supervisors Dr. Phil Kearney and Dr. Ian Sherwin. For his most recent study, they focused on PhD intervention within a GAA development squad. That involves finding out the most dominant limb for male and female players, the most influential person on their practice, where they practice the most and other sports they played. This understanding should steer how development squads operate in the future. 'I strongly believe we should be more aggressive going after left-sided players at development squad level,' he says. 'That applies to going after them and keeping them. Ajax have a policy where 30% of all squads players underage have to be in the left-sided. It is a slightly different reason - to balance the pitch, basically. 'But look at the most exciting players in Ireland, look at the top 50 bilateral players, left-sided players are massively over-represented. You go back and ask why? What does that mean for a coach at local level? Of course, you can't have broad strokes here, but you might be able to get more out of left-sided players genetically.' A common mistake is to assume a player who kicks with their right is right-handed. Laterality is skill specific. Individuals preference can vary across the kick pass, hand pass, solo, hop and shot. The first step is an accurate appraisal. Then it is about addressing it. Here's the thing. Most accept the need for players to be able to use their left and right. Despite that, players are still predominately one-sided. That is true right across the sport, at grassroots and intercounty level. So, what should coaches do? 'It can't just come solely from the club coach. What we are finding in our research, a lot of players are two-sided because of their parents. It's just contact time. If mom or dad aren't encouraging it, that token ten minutes with a coach who is doing his best, that won't do. It is like homework versus school. There is only so much you can do. It is about creating an environment, promoting the skill.' It is never too late to improve each skill, as long as it is done in the right way. Coaches can do an assessment in January and there's a good chance a player will improve when assessed again three months later. But that is not where it matters. Games are won and lost based on this one fundamental element. Make it count in a game. 'If a child is not equipped to kick off their non-dominant side in a closed drill, no one is arguing they should be thrown into a small-sided game. That is insane. 'But once there is any bit of proficiency using their non-dominant side, it should be a game-based situation with a coach on the side reminding the child about using the non-dominant side when they should. Pulling them aside when necessary. I appreciate that manpower-wise, it is difficult. I'm not naïve. 'It's about forcing them into situations where they have to develop it. For instance, you have a left corner-forward, put him at 15. Ajax will deliberately play a centre-forward somewhere else, left-back, to develop other aspects of their game. 'It will lead to a conversation with coaches, why did you run away from goal there? Was it to get back to your dominant side? Develop a skillset so that they can take the right option.'
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Solar bursts squished Jupiter's magnetic shield, left half of the planet scorching hot-
In a first, scientists have discovered a massive wave of solar wind that hit Jupiter and compressed its protective bubble. A solar wind event in 2017 struck Jupiter's magnetosphere, generating an expansive hot region that covered half the planet's circumference. This surge in heat pushed temperatures beyond 500°C, far exceeding the usual atmospheric background of 350°C. 'The solar wind squished Jupiter's magnetic shield like a giant squash ball. This created a super-hot region that spans half the planet,' James O'Donoghue, lead author of the research at the University of Reading, said in a release. Scientists now believe that solar bursts hit Jupiter two to three times a this is the first time they have captured Jupiter's response to solar wind before the impact. 'The way it changed the planet's atmosphere was very unexpected,' O'Donoghue said. To understand this phenomenon, scientists combined data from the Keck telescope, NASA's Juno spacecraft, and solar wind models. They found that a dense region of solar wind had compressed Jupiter's magnetosphere just before the observations began. This compression increased auroral heating at the poles, causing the upper atmosphere to expand and send hot gas toward the equator. "Typically, temperatures decrease gradually toward the equator, reflecting how auroral energy is redistributed across the planet," the team said in their paper. As "there are no known heating mechanisms capable of producing a feature with these temperatures outside of the auroral region," they proposed that the superheated region was likely "launched" toward the equator from the poles. Scientists had previously thought that Jupiter's powerful polar auroras confined auroral heating to the poles through strong winds. However, this discovery challenges that idea. Jupiter's auroras are similar to those on Earth, which form when energetic particles interact with the planet's magnetic field. However, Jupiter's auroras are believed to follow a different process and are far more intense and powerful. The findings suggest that planetary atmospheres across the solar system may be more affected by solar activity than previously thought. Solar bursts could drastically change the upper atmosphere of large planets, creating global winds that spread energy across the planet. Professor Mathew Owens, a co-author of the research, highlighted the significance of the study in improving space weather predictions. 'Our solar wind model correctly predicted when Jupiter's atmosphere would be disturbed. This helps us further understand the accuracy of our forecasting systems, which is essential for protecting Earth from dangerous space weather.' The researchers noted that Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, acts as a natural laboratory to study how the sun affects planets in general. 'By watching what happens there, we can better predict and understand the effects of solar storms, which might disrupt GPS, communications, and power grids on Earth," O'Donoghue explained. The study has been published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Powerful solar winds squish Jupiter's magnetic field 'like a giant squash ball'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A massive solar windstorm in 2017 compressed Jupiter's magnetosphere "like a giant squash ball," a new study reports. The discovery stemmed from an unusual temperature pattern scientists observed in Jupiter's atmosphere using the Keck Observatory in Hawai'i. Normally, Jupiter's powerful polar auroras inject significant heat into the gas giant's upper atmosphere near the poles. These spectacular lights resemble those seen on Earth, where they're generated when energetic particles interact with our planet's magnetic field, but Jupiter's auroras are believed to proceed through a different mechanism and are far more intense and energetic. When scientists from Reading University in England detected unexpectedly high temperatures stretching across half of Jupiter's circumference — reaching over 930 degrees Fahrenheit (500 degrees Celsius), significantly higher than the typical atmospheric background temperature of 660 degrees F (350 degrees C) — they were baffled. Related: Solar wind: What is it and how does it affect Earth? "Typically, temperatures decrease gradually toward the equator, reflecting how auroral energy is redistributed across the planet," the team wrote in their paper, which was published today (April 3) in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. As "there are no known heating mechanisms capable of producing a feature with these temperatures outside of the auroral region," the team proposed that the superheated region was likely "launched" toward the equator from the poles. To figure out how this might have occurred, the researchers combined ground-based observations from the Keck telescope with data from NASA's Juno spacecraft, which has been exploring Jupiter and its moons since 2016. They traced the cause of this sudden heat displacement to a dense burst of solar wind that compressed Jupiter's enormous magnetosphere — a magnetic bubble surrounding the planet, shaped by its own magnetic field. (Earth has one, too! In fact, life would not be possible without it.) "We have never captured Jupiter's response to solar wind before — and the way it changed the planet's atmosphere was very unexpected," study lead author James O'Donoghue of the University of Reading said in a statement. "This is the first time we've ever seen a thing like this on any outer world." The compression of the magnetosphere by the solar wind appears to have intensified auroral heating at Jupiter's poles, causing the upper atmosphere to expand and spill hot gas typically confined to the poles down toward the equator, team members said. "The solar wind squished Jupiter's magnetic shield like a giant squash ball," O'Donoghue said. "This created a super-hot region that spans half the planet. Jupiter's diameter is 11 times larger than Earth's, meaning this heated region is enormous." And such solar wind events are believed to hit Jupiter two to three times per month! Related Stories: — Jupiter's auroras arise from a magnetic 'tug-of-war' with volcanic eruptions on its moon Io — Space weather: What is it and how is it predicted? — Jupiter's storms and its 'potato' moon Amalthea stun in new NASA Juno probe images Scientists had previously thought that Jupiter's fast rotation would shield it from such effects, keeping auroral heating confined to the polar regions due to barriers created by the planet's strong winds. However, the new findings challenge that assumption, revealing that even the solar system's largest planet is at the sun's mercy. "We've studied Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus in increasing detail over the past decade. These giant planets are not as resistant to the sun's influence as we thought — they're vulnerable, like Earth," O'Donoghue said in the statement. "Jupiter acts like a laboratory, allowing us to study how the sun affects planets in general," he added. "By watching what happens there, we can better predict and understand the effects of solar storms which might disrupt GPS, communications and power grids on Earth."
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Neptune's auroras captured in great detail by Nasa's Webb telescope
Neptune's glowing auroras have been captured in the best detail yet by Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope. Hints of auroras were first faintly detected in ultraviolet light during a flyby by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1989. Webb captured Neptune's shimmering lights in infrared light, providing direct evidence they exist. Nasa released the images on Wednesday and the results were published in the journal Nature Astronomy. Neptune was the only giant planet in the Solar System not showing H3+ and aurorae — until these JWST observations: . Atmospheric temperatures are found to be half those recorded by Voyager 2 34 yrs ago. @SolarSpaceNU — Nature Astronomy (@NatureAstronomy) March 26, 2025 Auroras on any planet occur when electrically charged particles from space enter and collide with molecules in the atmosphere, creating a series of reactions that emit light. On Earth, auroras tend to occur near the polar regions, producing spectacular northern and southern lights. Scientists have studied auroras on Saturn and Jupiter for decades, but Neptune, the farthest planet from the sun, has been harder to see up close. 'Neptune has always been elusive,' said University of Reading planetary scientist James O'Donoghue, co-author of the new study. Its auroras 'had only been seen by Voyager, and we've been trying to see it again ever since'. Neptune's auroras occur near the mid-latitudes of the planet, not the polar regions, because of differences in its magnetic field which determine the span of auroras, said Mr O'Donoghue. More than three decades after Voyager 2's pass, scientists have seen Neptune's auroras again with the powerful Webb telescope, producing 'the first robust detection', said co-author Heidi Hammel of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy. The researchers also revealed that Neptune's atmosphere has cooled significantly since the 1980s, which may have dimmed the light of the auroras.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Neptune's auroras are captured in great detail by NASA's Webb telescope
WASHINGTON (AP) — Neptune's glowing auroras are captured in the best detail yet by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Hints of auroras were first faintly detected in ultraviolet light during a flyby of the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1989. Webb captured Neptune's shimmering lights in infrared light, providing direct evidence they exist. NASA released the images on Wednesday, and the results were published in the journal Nature Astronomy. Auroras on any planet occur when electrically charged particles from space enter and collide with molecules in the atmosphere, creating a series of reactions that emits light. On Earth, auroras tend to occur near the polar regions, producing spectacular northern and southern lights. Scientists have studied auroras on Saturn and Jupiter for decades, but Neptune, the farthest planet from the sun, has been harder to see up close. 'Neptune has always been elusive," said University of Reading planetary scientist James O'Donoghue, co-author of the new study. Its auroras "had only been seen by Voyager, and we've been trying to see it again ever since.' Neptune's auroras occur near the mid-latitudes of the planet, not the polar regions, because of differences in its magnetic field, which determine the span of auroras, said O'Donoghue. More than three decades after Voyager 2's pass, scientists have seen Neptune's auroras again with the powerful Webb telescope, producing 'the first robust detection," co-author Heidi Hammel of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, said in an email. The researchers also revealed that Neptune's atmosphere has cooled significantly since the 1980s, which may have somewhat dimmed the light of the auroras. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
