'When curlers sweep in front of the sliding curling stones,

[elleng]

they reduce the coefficient of friction for granite sliding on ice so that the stone decelerates less rapidly and can slide several metres further. Sweeping reduces m by polishing the ice and raising its temperature.'

https://www.google.com/search?q=effect+of+sweeping+in+curling&oq=effect+of+%27sweeping&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i22i30l2j0i390l2.11276j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Really??? Why am I WATCHING?

'Marijuana legislation announced by Maryland House leadership.'

Waiting, I guess.

[EYESORE 9001]

1. Thermomechanics!

https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.824.4994&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Somebody did their research, and it involved much more than parroting some internet rando.

[ProfessorGAC]

18. Yep!

Altering the surface is everything in curling. Can make it curve too, by only letting part of the stone hit the thin layer of liquid water.
Believe it or not, that principle works in modern bowling equipment. While spinning off the rolling access, the surface actually slightly fluidizes, creating a tiny bit more surface. (Think a temporary "flat spot".).
The centripetal force and gyro effect cause the fluid to seek a rotational level when it's no longer touching the surface keeps the ball from going out of round. The fluid dynamics are very involved.
That plus eccentric weighting makes it easier to throw a hook with lots of late break.
The fluid principles are the same, but the latter is much more complicated physical chemistry.

[634-5789]

2. Love Curling!

It's a great sport. You have to figure angles, points, speed. What's not to like! Especially this year with the addition of the first ever Australian curling team!

[AngryOldDem]

3. Sport doesn't get the respect it deserves.

I’ve heard so many jokes made at its expense. It’s not as easy as it looks. It takes strategy and finesse, for the reasons stated above — and, that stone is heavy.

[634-5789]

13. YEP. And the Italians are kicking ass!

[LastDemocratInSC]

4. Parking lot curling.

Find a grocery store with a sloping parking lot. Take one of the little shopping carts to the highest point in one of the parking lanes. Give the cart a bit of a push toward the bottom of the lane. Use 2 stiff brooms to clear debris from the carts path, or push debris into its path to control its direction and speed. The goal is to have the cart stop on top of the big directional arrow at the end of the lane, or to push the cart of the opposing team off the arrow.

[SergeStorms]

5. Why are you watching?

It's addictive, that's why. There are many, and I mean MANY local curling clubs in the northern United States.

It hasn't really caught on down south yet. There's no "Friday Night Lights" curling going on down south, and I don't see it ever replacing football there.

Still, it's a fascinating sport. You're certainly not alone watching it, that's for sure.

[okaawhatever]

19. Ahem....Nashville just opened its first curling venue. Called Tee Line or

Tee O Line. Very nice facility. There has been a curling club in Nashville, but no facility w/ “dedicated ice” for curling.

I only know this because my sister’s clients is located next door to the rink. Ive heard a couple of Titans players invested in it.

[Tommy Carcetti]

6. Fact: Curling has a position known as "Vice Skip"

Presumably this is for circumstances where during a curling match the Skip either dies, becomes permanently incapacitated, resigns or is impeached and removed and they need someone to take over that position.

[TexasTowelie]

7. At least I provided a thread for you to ponder.

[True Dough]

8. History lesson: corn brooms

Today's brooms have evolved. No worries about them leaving debris on the ice.

When I first tried curling in the mid-1990s in a small town, some people were still using corn brooms. Those suckers occasionally shed a long bristle on the ice. Talk about throwing your stone's trajectory off! Sometimes the stone would actually veer off course and bounce off the edge of the ice sheet.

[Solly Mack]

9. I love to watch Curling.

It takes skill.

[NurseJackie]

12. I used to curl when I was younger.

I used Clairol heated rollers... and that takes skill! But now I keep my hair too short to curl.

[Happy Hoosier]

10. My parents curled when we lived in Newfoundland.

They had leagues there.

The intensity of the sweeping can be varied to try and get the stone to stop at a specific spot.

[melm00se]

11. This used to be a staple on the Canadian channels

on Saturday afternoon we could pick up from across the border.

[Nevilledog]

14. ...

Link to tweet

[madinmaryland]

15. It sounds like you've already been smoking some marijuana.

[elleng]

16. If only, mad!

[NutmegYankee]

17. I was in the stadium for the mens finals in 2010.

It’s actually quite fun to watch in person.

At one point the crowd was doing a wave and started chanting “Media Media” to get them to participate on their side. They did.