The Red Edge
The color of love, anger... and victory? British scientists tracked success in several Olympic sports; boxing, tae kwon do and wrestling. When the match was close and all factors were equal, athletes wearing red won more often than those wearing blue.
In many animal species, red signals male dominance. Researchers suggest that athletes in scarlet jerseys intimidate their opponents with this same power signal.
The Last Shall Be First
Performing last in a competition may mean prolonged anxiety, but it could pay off in the end, according to a study of champion ice skaters and of singers competing in the European version of American Idol.
Regardless of whether athletes received their scores during the competition or after, those performing later received slightly higher scores. One explanation: Judges look for the ways in which contestants are better than the previous challengers rather than how they are worse.
