Vancouver Exercises Intellectual Muscle for the 2010 Olympics

With the Winter Olympics less than five months away, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic games has become preoccupied with building muscle — intellectual muscle.

The committee, in collaboration with more than 20 Canadian universities and The Globe and Mail, has created a series of podcasts that provide an academic look at the Olympic Games.

The series will feature professors from institutions like Carleton, Dalhousie, and McGill Universities, discussing topics such as what the games contribute to society, gender stereotypes in sports, the politics of the games, and national identity. At least two podcasts will be featured each week until the start of the Olympics in February. 

“The Vancouver 2010 Winter Games are about celebrating the highest levels of achievement of the `body, mind, and spirit,’” said Burke Taylor, the committee’s vice president for culture, education, and celebration programs, in a press release. “We want to create a new forum for Canada’s best and brightest academics and public intellectuals to engage.”