Data-Driven Football Helmets and the Undone Science of Opioids

Data-driven helmet innovations are reshaping football safety. This week’s feature, by Adrian Cho, examines how Virginia Tech Helmet Lab ratings, sensor-equipped testing, and NFL incentives have spurred new helmet shells, liners, and 3D-printed components designed to dissipate impact and reduce concussions, with insights from Giants long snapper Casey Kreider. The episode also probes the undone science of opioid overdose, with John Strang explaining how overdoses suppress breathing, what remains unknown about the biology, and how research might improve naloxone use, wearable detection, and patient-centered interventions. The discussion blends engineering data with public health implications, underscoring a data-driven approach to complex, real-world health challenges.

Helmet technology and concussion prevention in football

The first segment centers on football helmet design as a science-driven field rather than a marketing tale. Adrian Cho traces the trajectory of helmet changes over roughly the last decade and a half, prompted by the accumulation of data on head injuries and the recognition of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). A pivotal development has been the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab, which since 2011 has rated helmets and gathered a database of impact hits, enabling a concussion risk function that depends on linear and rotational accelerations. The lab’s pendulum-based tests, conducted at multiple impact points and speeds, allow researchers to reproduce typical hits and quantify how helmet design affects brain strain. A key insight is that rotational acceleration, not just linear impact, plays a major role in concussion risk, since brain tissue is highly susceptible to shear and twist.

On the outside of the helmet, flexible shells from brands like Vices and modified polycarbonate designs from Riddell introduce energy-dissipation pathways that resemble automotive crumple zones. Inside, advanced padding materials have evolved from simple foam to thermoplastic urethane lattices and 3D-printed cellular structures that collapse progressively, maintaining space for the head to decelerate more gradually. Collide, a liner manufacturer, designs cells that collapse in a controlled profile, distributing force and reducing peak accelerations. The net effect is a broader “time over which the head slows down,” lowering injury risk. The segment also touches on the balance between protection and wearability, noting that players want lighter, comfortable helmets that still meet safety demands.

"This is the thing that really makes this a science, and not just a commercial product story" - Adrian Cho, staff writer

The undone science of opioids

In the second segment, John Strang from King's College London outlines the opioid overdose crisis as three linked epidemics: prescription opioids, illicit heroin, and illicit fentanyl. He emphasizes that while much is known about addiction pathways and public health strategies, the precise mechanisms by which an overdose leads to death are still not fully understood. Specifically, the brain’s respiratory centers are suppressed by opiates, causing a period where breathing may stop for up to a minute before spontaneous revival, with variability between individuals. Strang argues for ethically designed studies that observe overdoses in controlled settings or with consenting participants already using opioids, to unravel why protective systems fail and how to identify those at greatest risk.

The discussion also covers practical interventions and research directions. Naloxone remains the most effective antidote, and there is interest in optimizing dosing strategies and developing more portable, user-friendly forms. The potential for wearables and sensors to detect apneic episodes, measure oxygen saturation, or monitor breathing patterns could enable rapid alerts to caregivers or emergency services, potentially averting fatalities. Strang stresses the importance of co-production with drug users and clinicians to shape interventions that are acceptable and effective in real-world contexts, addressing stigma and ethical concerns around research participation.

"Naloxone is an extraordinary drug that reverses overdose" - John Strang, professor at King’s College London