Curling clinic with a radiotherapy twist

Today we participated in a curling clinic at the Dutch Curling Track in Zoetermeer. After some initial effort to master the delicate combination of direction, speed, curl, balance (and of course sweeping), the game quickly started to resemble ocular radiotherapy:

• The first round mirrored stereotactic treatments, with several stones landing before or beyond the target.
• In the second round, the analogy shifted towards proton beam therapy, as most stones successfully reached the house.
• The final round resembled brachytherapy, with slightly more stones positioned in front of than on the target. These tactical “guards” proved highly effective, resulting in the highest score (by analogy, superior visual acuity) neatly confirming the recently updated ESMO-EURACAN guidelines for optimal uveal melanoma treatment.

In the end, the yellow team’s strategy of focusing first on precision and then on accuracy paid off. The resulting low random error allowed for more tactical flexibility in the final phase, ultimately forcing the red team into an unconventional FLASH‑like strategy.