2010 Olympic medals include material from recycled circuit boards
By Donald Melanson 
posted October 17th 2009 3:47AM
posted October 17th 2009 3:47AM
The just-unveiled medals for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver certainly break with a few conventions in terms of appearance, but it looks like they also contain a few surprises that aren't immediately apparent -- namely, they're all made at least partly from recycled circuit boards. Of course, the circuit boards have also been recycled beyond recognition, but each of the medals do apparently sport a one of a kind design, not to mention some considerable heft (weighing between 500 and 576 grams apiece). Sure, it's not enough to make a dent in the e-waste problem, but it's a heckuva way to kick start a trend.
[Via Technabob]
[Via Technabob]
I bet no one got that either.. hehe
I believe the medal was designed by the Goa'uld
It's likely the Olympic Games were designed by the Goa'uld. But not the Winter Games, I don't think they like the cold.
Stargate Universe is a nice change from Vancouver forests :D
Wouldn't it have made more sense to Beijing to have made these?!? After all, it's not like Canada's know for its abundance of unused circuit boards.
Now that I think of it, perhaps it would have been more appropriate for these medals to have contains traces of recycled marijuana and draft dodgers? Maybe throw in a sprinklin' of John Candy dust?
***for*** Beijing. My Kingdom for an edit reply button.
Bender: Why, those disgusting humans...is nothing sacred to them??
As with most things olymics-related: who cares. I find it hard to be interested in an organization that considers the *bobsled* to be an actual sport; one worth speding taxpayers' money on, no less.
I'm assuming these were made in China.
The International Olympics committee is a corrupt body, that exploits the sacrifices of athletes for the opportuinity to have their own power and control. The Olympics have been used too often as a political forum. China is still a repressive country, despite the Beijing Olympics. I am glad the Olympics are not in the US next time. Let someone else deal with the expense and the commercialism. Rio will suffer more than they benefit. The people in the favelas will not benefit from the Olympics.
@al-kindi
Get over it. The world is not a perfect place. The Olympics offer the best vs. the best.
Except for Baseball and Softball.
In other news...people actually still watch the Olympics.
They look like crap, go with tradition.
There is no tradition in modern winter olyhmpics medal design. To prove my point, here are some examples from the last 3 games:
Torino (06): http://www.littlelostrobot.com/images/tornio_bronzem.jpg
Salt Lake (02): http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/Olympics_medal_Salt_Lake_2002.jpg
Nagano (98): http://www.olympicsource.org/WPM%2088%20Nagano%201998%20Participant%20M.JPG
Personally I like them, and would like the permission from blahblah to use that joke when I win one...
Agreed! They be ugly and stupid. Stupid Canadians! And three of my four grandparents are from there. Heck, I have an older cousin in the NHL Hall of Fame who played for Montreal, and I still say stupid Canadians! Why does everything in a liberal country like yours have to break with tradition? And who cares if a native Canadian designed it?
@ the guy above me: Let me guess...another excuse to bash Canada.
I personally like these medals. You my friend don't accept change very well do you? It's personal opinion anyways. Meh.
I actually think they look pretty nifty. I like the design. Oh well...
I work in computer recycling. I wonder if a board i pulled from a machine lent it's materials to the process? probably not, but you never know.
Nice design and artistry, IMHO--it's nice to see creativity at work.
They should built some form of augmented reality into those things. Where you flip it over, hold it up to a web camera and it plays a 3D vid of what you did to win it on the metal. *shrugs* But that's me.
The design on the medals seems to include Tlingit artwork. Nicely played Vancouver. I like it.
I sort of like these medals, but I still think they picked the worst possible logo. Let's represent the world's most celebrated and widely known ATHLETIC event with a massive, inert pile of rocks!
They do that every year, it just looks differently this year.
You think that logo is bad? http://www.attitudedesign.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/2012_logo_white_385x450.jpg
Jesus Christ telepheedian - don't pull that kind of shit again without doing a better job of warning us! I'm going to have nightmares for weeks. That's the last time we let the UK host an international event.....
@ themethome
Tradition as in ROUND not blobular, as in the three examples of round medals you linked.
Looking at it from the front (insted of from an angle) they look pretty round though...
http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID2490/images/2010medals.jpg
i personally love this design, they don't try and do "too much" with the design that would distract you from what you are actually looking at (an Olympic medal) sometimes simplicity is a good thing!
as it's not mentioned in the story - each medal has a _different_ design (not each color, each individual medal awarded). They're details from one big piece which you can see in this story: http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/news/feature-stories/-/170520/32574/mpnnia/meet-the-medals.html
well i hope the design is not etched on the medal and is actually cast from a mould... BUT if you look at it, you will see that it will only look cheap (etched) or they will have to change the whole design.
not etched in the traditional sense, they're laser etched so it won't rub off, but you won't feel it either.
oh, and @forcewinder: they're made in Canada, metal provided by Teck and stamped by the Mint's Ottawa facility.
looks like chips, n ketchup chips
fail design
Nice, very industrial.
Medals generously provided by the estate of Salvadore Dali.
Anybody interested in diverting electronics from landfills and stopping e-waste from getting sent overseas should have a look at Intercon Recycling's page on Facebook. Become a fan and support the recycling efforts of this environmental leader.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chicago-Heights-IL/Intercon-Recycling/143347045321