Science Makes Everything Sound Painful Quiz

Answer: Lou Gehrig

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that affects the nervous system. It destroys nerve cells which, over time, will cause the infected person to lose motor control. Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig (1903-1941) of the New York Yankees began showing signs of the disease during the 1938 season as it began to affect his on field performance.

In 1939, the ALS diagnosis was confirmed which prompted Gehrig to announce his retirement in his famous speech at Yankee Stadium where he declared himself to be the "luckiest man on the face of this earth". Lou Gehrig passed away less than two years later.

As a result amyotrophic lateral sclerosis would adopt the nickname, Lou Gehrig's disease.

Answer: Dennis Byrd

In 1992, New York Jets defensive end Dennis Byrd (1966-2016) was severely injured during a game between the Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs. Dennis Byrd was attempting to sack the Chiefs' quarterback Dave Krieg. Krieg dodged the tackle, but Byrd had dove head first and ended up colliding with fellow teammate Scott Mersereau. Byrd had tucked his head in and the collision caused him to fracture his fifth cervical vertebrae (located at the base of the neck), which left him temporarily paralyzed.

He was forced to retire from the NFL and his number 90 would be retired by the Jets.

His story was retold through an autobiography, as well as a television documentary. Fate seemed to be out to get Dennis Byrd as he was tragically killed in a car accident in 2016.

Answer: Dale Earnhardt

NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt (1951-2001) was killed during a crash that occurred during the final lap of the Daytona 500 in 2001. Ken Schrader who drove the number 36 M&M's car made contact with Earnhardt's vehicle which caused it to slam head on into a concrete barrier. Earnhardt was killed instantly after sustaining a basilar skull fracture. Dale Earnhardt was a seven-time NASCAR champion with only one win at the Daytona 500 (1998).

In a tribute to Dale Earnhardt, spectators will raise three fingers (an homage to his number 3 black Chevrolet) during the third lap of the Daytona 500.

Answer: Florida Panthers

NHL player Richard Zednik was severely injured in 2008 during a game between the Florida Panthers and the Buffalo Sabres. Zednik's teammate Olli Jokinen got tripped up while skating past Zednik. As he fell, Jokinen's ice skate struck Zednik in the neck, which ruptured his common carotid artery (one of the main arteries that supplies blood to the head). Blood kept spurting out from the life-threatening wound before paramedics and team physicians could contain the wound. Zednik was rushed into emergency surgery to repair the artery. Zednik survived but the injury forced him to sit out the remainder of the season.

Answer: Brock Lesnar

Brock Lesnar is a multi-time UFC and WWE heavyweight champion. While Lesnar has made a career as a nearly unstoppable fighter, one of The Beast's most unusual fights was with an ailment known as diverticulitis. Colonic diverticulitis is a disease that affects the large intestines.

It causes a rupture in the organ which allows fecal matter to enter the abdomen, which can cause additional ailments by allowing bacteria to seep out into the body. Lesnar has had numerous surgeries to repair the damage caused by diverticulitis.

The disease led him to retire from UFC and focus more on a part-time career with the WWE.

Answer: Paul George

In the Summer of 2014, Paul George of the Indiana Pacers was selected to try out for the United States national team that would challenge for the Basketball World Cup. During a televised exhibition game in Las Vegas against other national team candidates, Paul George landed awkwardly on his leg and suffered a compound fracture of his tibia bone (a large thick bone that connects the knee to the ankle) and his fibula bone (a thinner bone at the back of the lower leg).

It was an uneasy scene for spectators who saw Paul George's leg bend in a way that it wasn't supposed to.

He was able to recover from the injury and returned to the NBA in Spring 2015.

Answer: human immunodeficiency virus

During the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, American diver Greg Louganis sustained a concussion after his head struck the diving board. Before the Olympics, Greg Louganis had been diagnosed as having the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, due to personal reasons Louganis did not disclose this information to the public.

This sparked some controversy after Greg Louganis finally revealed that he had HIV/AIDS during an interview in 1995. When Louganis injured his head, blood was released into the pool, which caused a health concern to those who helped treat Louganis' injury, as well as other divers who used the same pool after the incident.

Answer: Venus Williams

Sjögren syndrome is a disease that affects the immune system. It affects the body's ability to produce lubricating substances such as tears and saliva. It can also cause fatigue, as well as muscular and joint pain. In 2011, American tennis star Venus Williams was diagnosed with Sjögren syndrome which significantly affected her performance during that that year.

After taking a few months off, Venus was able to get the disease under control and was back to her usual self in 2012.

Answer: Miami Hurricanes

Willis McGahee was a running back for the University of Miami. In 2003, the Hurricanes competed for the national championship against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Fiesta Bowl, which was held in Tempe, Arizona. In the fourth quarter of the game McGahee was tackled after catching a pass.

His knee was bent in the opposite direction, which caused him to tear his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Despite the severity of the injury, McGahee recovered and was later drafted to the NFL.

Answer: Skiing

Lindsay Vonn is an American skiier who has competed in several Winter Olympic Games. She won a gold medal during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. While Lindsay has accomplished a lot in her career, her sport of choice has also taken a serious toll on her body.

She broke her right pinkie in the 2010 Olympics, after she had already won her gold medal. She suffered a tibial plateau fracture (knee) during the 2013 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. One of her worst injuries was a fractured humerus bone (upper arm) which she suffered during training in 2016.

Not to mention countless torn ligaments.