If you've been watching the Women's Rugby World Cup, you may have noticed players have been wearing special mouthguards that light up when they've suffered a significant knock to the head.

It's the first time these concussion-predicting mouthguards have been trialled at a major competition.

So in the wake of recent concussion concerns, from professional AFL and rugby league to community competitions, is this the future of sport?

You can binge more episodes of the Lab Notes podcast with science journalist and presenter Belinda Smith on the ABC Listen app (Australia). You'll find episodes on animal behaviour, human health, space exploration and so much more.

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Featuring:

• Kate O’Halloran, digital journalist with ABC Sport 

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Women's Rugby World Cup players trialling flashing mouthguards to help predict concussions

This episode of Lab Notes was produced on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang Noongar people.