19 Jul 2024
31m

Lose Lose

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Radiolab

This podcast episode explores the history and controversy surrounding the Olympics, with a focus on unexpected events and the ethical considerations of intentional losing in sports. It discusses the quirky prizes awarded in the early Olympics and the evolution of the games into a well-organized event. The episode delves into the badminton tournament at the 2012 London Olympics, where suspicions of match fixing and intentional bad gameplay arose. It recounts a highly unusual match where both teams were incentivized to lose and the invention of a new sport called "photo negative badminton." The episode concludes with a discussion on the disqualification of the Korean and Chinese teams and the ethical considerations in their actions.

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