The article concludes with a comment that continuing study of woodpecker brains will help with modelling of sports helmets.
This study makes it clear that woodpecker brains are internally different from human brains. Woodpecker brains can handle high g forces, human brains cannot.
Sports helmets have almost no effect on g forces - the compressible material is simply too thin to materially change the distance over which the head must decelerate and hence the g force to which the brain is subjected.
If woodpeckers relied on external helmets, loosly fitting, thinly padded, held in place by a strap under their chin, then some human sports helmet analogy might be possible.
Continuing this study to learn more about the structure of brains is in itself worthwhile. Any reference to sports helmets simply discredits the authors.
