StarTalk Podcast: Game-Changing Physics

Portions of clips used in this video are credited to Team USA. Full clips can be found here:
• Simone Biles Stuns Wit...
• Video
How do you change the game? On this episode of StarTalk Sports Edition, we begin our “Game Changers” mini-series where we look at techniques, technology, and materials that have changed the sporting world. To start, Neil deGrasse Tyson, co-hosts Gary O’Reilly and Chuck Nice, and astrophysicist Charles Liu are exploring the techniques that have re-shaped sports.
We kick things off by exploring Simone Biles performing a “Triple Double.” We discuss how Simone raised the bar on difficulty and technique while gracefully demonstrating how physics works. Charles takes us behind the physics to explain the gravity and rotation happening during the move. Then, we move on to a clip from Neil’s interview with NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. You’ll find out how Kareem pioneered the sky hook. And, we discuss why, when performed exceptionally, it’s illegal to block a sky hook.
We head back to the Olympics as we discuss the “Fosbury Flop” and how it changed the high jump forever. Why does the Fosbury Flop work? Charles tells us how Dick Fosbury basically took his center of mass outside his body. We ponder if there will be another technique that improves on the Fosbury Flop or if that’s the limit in the high jump. Then, you’ll hear how Olympic gold medalist Edwin Moses used math and physics to run a “shorter” race in the 400 meter hurdles.
Lastly, we re-visit our show with Sasha Cohen as she takes us through the process of pulling off a quadruple jump. You’ll learn how some athletes have to make “in-routine” adjustments. All that, plus, we investigate the importance of psychology when it comes to pushing past what you thought was possible.
Support us on Patreon: / startalkradio
"Black Swan” & "White Swan" limited edition serigraph prints by Coast Salish artist Jane Kwatleematt Marston. For more information about this artist and her work, visit Inuit Gallery of Vancouver inuit.com/.
FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk:
KZbin: kzbin.info...
Twitter: / startalkradio
Facebook: / startalk
Instagram: / startalkradio
About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
#StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

[@STST]

I love chucks face of horror at the start of these 😂

[@BisTLeiS]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@lilnastyy1604]

I’m a physics loving gymnast, so hearing Neil talking about Simone Biles is a gift I didn’t know I needed.

[@2beXact]

Absolutely love these shows. Educational bytes with comical notes in a concise format.

[@stephenwhiting9611]

Grew up loving the Showtime Lakers. Kareem was my dad’s favorite player. It never dawned on me that the skyhook was indefensible because Kareem’s release point was higher than the basket, and any block would have been considered goaltending. Thank you for the cool insight that I will share with him over family dinner on Sunday.

[@vanjavalavanja]

That is false. It wouldn't be goaltending if the ball was still going up in its trajectory. It's goaltending if you block it when the ball is going down. The problem was that Jabbar was so high and big, with huge arm reach, and he threw the ball in a high arch, it was impossible to get to it on the way up. I think his skyhook got blocked only once. That's why all of them tried to slap the ball out of his hands down low.But if you could block it when it's going up, even if the ball is above the rim, it's perfectly legal. Except you would need booster rockets to do so :)

[@gymleader797]

As an athlete and an intellectual, I can say for FACTS knowing the science behind sports improves skills drastically

[@romuxas]

Ahh yes a self-proclaimed intellectual, how humble.

[@szatmaritomi9387]

Just going to sleep. Definitely listening to this.

[@lilnastyy1604]

Literally me whenever these drop! It could be 3am and I’m finding things to do for 52 more minutes 😂

[@nakks4921]

Literally me every single day. Ain't no stopping

[@danroberts4333]

Wake up to these podcast episodes finished every morning as I always fall asleep ...

[@StorymasterQ]

Neil deGrasse Tyson, your personal ASMR-physicist.

[@AndyKnudsen]

Has StarTalk ever thought of turning one of these videos into an actual explainer video with diagrams and charts for those of us who have trouble visualizing some of these concepts?

[@lalorojas7824]

he never misses “keep looking up”

[@kyriekwsta770]

spoilers

[@travis303]

I can't confirm this because it has been years since I have seen this show but it seems like I remember Jack Horkheimer from Jack Horkheimer's Star Gazer always ending his shows with "Keep looking up." I think he stole that from Jack Horkheimer.

[@criz6825]

Once he did

[@w0nd3rlu573r]

Alright, first reaction - did anybody noticed, that when the girl Simon jumped, to me it seems that all of the moves were done ABOVE her actual height. That is insane and I can't believe I've missed that in the news. Outstanding!

[@danstepka775]

neil great job on star talk plus chuck keep's getting smarter thank you both

[@b.o.1951]

This is great. Mad at myself for waiting so long to watch.

[@gridhop]

Thank you editors! This format is much easier on the eyes - zero strain- vs. previous sports editions that have all four speakers shown at once for an extended period of time.

[@mariakasioni416]

What an amazing episode! Loved it! Thank you so much! :)

[@jamesshaw3500]

Thank you for making complex science accessible for the common man.

[@Bassotronics]

I was never into sports but this episode has my mind happy with all the awesome information regarding the physics involved.

[@dulalghosh9968]

Please keep doing this physics of the sports edition.

[@TreVotheJoke]

Now that you have challenged him. I'm sure Shaq will do a floor routine.

[@miketech2]

All bow to Professor Liu 🙇🏽‍♂️🙇🏽‍♀️🙇🏽‍♂️

[@thedondeluxe6941]

Jan Boklöv and his pioneering v-style ski jumping technique would have been perfect for this episode.

[@oaksnice]

Yeah, they're only doing American athletes for some reason.

[@LoveTripz]

Absolutely loved this sports edition. Learned a lot! Thanks.

[@ayinke1481]

Interesting and fun topic with great guests👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@SteveN-uc4xh]

I thought they'd mention the springiness of the floor. I'm not sure how much, but I know it adds a lil spring to her jump.

[@aeoeaa1234]

YES!!! Been waiting for more of this... you applying your deep knowledge of physics to the world of sports! It's an unbeatable combo. Amazing, thank you

[@Kindrick]

When I was in elementary school, 4th grade, we'd have a part of PE where we'd run the track, and this was around the time that I tried out running like the guy from Prince of Persia for SNES, with the springy jump replacing every other jump, to go faster like that move makes him go faster. I got made fun of for it, because of how awkward it looked, with every other step being much, much longer. I stopped doing the leap thing, but what I should've done, was apply it to every step instead of every other step, to minimize contact with the ground and maximize air time.

[@vanjavalavanja]

That's actually what kangaroos do to maximize the distance traveled with less energy. Of course, their hind legs have developed such that they can deliver that massive kind of energy. And also small birds like sparrows, that hop instead of walking but it's easier for them for their lower mass and less dense bone structure.

[@barrypalmer2321]

Many years ago I saw a slow motion analysis of Johnny Bench throwing to second base. Johnny ran toward second base so fast that, frame by frame, the ball was always moving in a forward direction, toward second base, even when Johnny was cocking his arm backwards. Not having to reverse the momentum of the ball gave Johnny a big advantage. Perhaps, in a future episode, you could explain the physics and calculate the amount of that advantage.

[@ZackeryCool]

Star talk is so under rated

[@tonidorotic2726]

I love your show guys. Watching from all the way to Croatia in Europe. Big fan of Chucks reading disability :D I thought We need some breakdancing ( B-Boying) in the next sports edition. If anyone is breaking the laws of physics it's them. From Headspins to crazy one-handed airflares and hand spinning. Pleese Neal, give us some love :) I'm sure you would be mind blown.

[@attractedtothemetallikemag9385]

Hello from England

[@SuperOmnious]

Great episode guys! You should do an episode talking about the physics of disc golf.

[@aungthuhein007]

Please invite Charles more often! We love him!

[@user-cf2pl9uy5k]

Absolutely love these!

[@STST]

You're all legends.

[@parallelpalmtrees]

Chuck, Charles, and Neil are the dream team

[@NezD]

You guys should talk about the Nike Zoom Fly ‘Controversy” with their Track Sneakers that allowed people to break all kind of records. World Athletics is rewriting their regulations for running shoes (specifically int heir carbon fiber makeup I believe).

[@b.o.1951]

Great suggestions

[@derrickbailey9821]

Tenet was great.. streamed it already watched 5 times.. gets better everytime.. it would be cool for neil to break out down like he does..

[@wtfbbq]

Amazing as always Neil! Plus my 3 favorite co-hosts all at once! I would LOVE to see a video on gyroscopes which were briefly mentioned here. I'm quite familiar with conservation of angular momentum and inertia, but it was interesting that Charles said the gyroscopic effect doesn't manifest "unless you spin very very fast". It's easy to understand how a flywheel keeps it's inertia, but I'm not as clear about how a spinning top keeps its balance. Why spinning something around 1 axis of rotation will create a type of resistance to changing the angle of that axis? I would guess that the mass trying to spin "outward" from the center of the axis along a plane creates angular momentum. So that once something starts spinning the angular momentum wants to stay in the same plane. And to change the angle of that 'inertial plane' would require some extra force correlated to the amount of angular momentum from the spinning object. IE. Spinning faster = more angular momentum = more force required to change the angle of that inertial plane. Of course I could find the answer to this in 1/2 a second here on KZbin but I'd prefer Neil to explain it to me :p

[@rishabhname1772]

These 2, are great! Content, is so intriguing (even a too cliche science topic is taken to a very interesting level)... The pair is doing some legendary work!

[@rogeriocosta1035]

Hi guys! Do you know why we can enable CC in these new videos on KZbin? This is happening only in new videos. The best would have real CC for accessibility , but if it is not possible, at least the automatic generate CC would help.

[@kenallen5054]

In ball sports you focus on where the ball is going unless your catching, then your focus is the ball going into your hand/s or feet. In sports body type is sport specific usually. Weight lifters are big. Runners are skinny and lengthy. Jumpers have runners with slightly more mass in lower body. Then enter the brain per human which pushes their physical ability.

[@dolphinfan65]

I love this show.

[@eagle___shadow]

I love❤️ this channel👍

[@ThomasJHorrego]

i freakin love these

[@Chasedroog]

The part about marathon was awesome

[@melissawicca]

the times for the ptree road race in atl ga went down after the Olympics because they added a line to the race area that showed the straightest path

[@hermanlau4431]

Yeah! My favorite guest!

[@peterkallend5012]

So, it's not the muscle mass of the gymnast that makes them get all that height. It's actually the speed at which their feet punch the floor exercise surface. Under that carpet there are 4" springs spaced every 12"-18". The kinetic energy of the feet hitting the floor is translated into elastic potential energy by the springs, which then propel the gymnast in a direction they want to go in based on how their body is oriented. If you want to go higher, you have to make your feet move faster and have them impact directly under your body. The spring floor takes care of the rest.

[@locustfire75]

Yay, my favorite scientific comedy duo, Neil and Chuck

[@harrythompson3545]

Beautiful

[@delicedeluna1629]

I wish I payed attention and stayed in school so I could understand some of this. Still very interesting to listen to anyway [:

[@farvaalikhan3761]

Love this channel!

[@loganmcdonald568]

Amazing video as always. I know I am one of many fans of yours, but do you have any advice you could give me? I've always been interested in space and the planets and stars and I wanted to work in the field of Astronomy. I have Diabetes that I am trying to control for now, but once I am done regulating that, I want to pursue a career in Astronomy.

[@JKole614]

Lets Go Star Talk WOO WOO WOO

[@rcamargo636]

Theres always someone there to say no you cant do that was it🤣🤣

[@frogz]

.....honestly i dont click on most sports edition episodes but i saw Charles Liu and you had professor of comedy, chuck nice!

[@sherrylennondewitt4102]

Amazing

[@barrypalmer2321]

Regarding an athletes performance on a bigger stage: I've often wondered how much the location can affect the performance of an individual, one example being the individual's reaction to jet lag. My family are all highly affected by air pressure; are some gymnasts and other indoor performers affected by weather conditions?

[@geralddiete-spiffjr.4900]

Regarding gymnastics, Did they mention that the floor for the floor routine is spring loaded? Those springs give a lot of energy assistance to the flips.

[@jackmcguinness2648]

You could talk about the backstroke wedge in swimming!

[@cubfanmike]

Simone accomplished that leap using every muscle in her body

[@W.M.1]

That's why Yoda has insane jumps and moves.

[@Leftyotism]

Charles Liu is da best! :D And he got hair like me xD

[@joshuamarcoccio3639]

I’m not a fan of sports but listening to this in physics terms make me reconsider

[@watcher3774]

Better floor routine = more time off the floor... Got it 👌

[@NIKUTUBE1]

I love all of what comes up

[@EmpyreanLightASMR]

31:01 Chuck Liu I think is mistaking feet for meters. The radius is 1.6 meters smaller, not 1.5 feet.

[@marvinmauldin4361]

"We don't know what hasn't been invented yet." -Yogi Tyson

[@Sunshine-fi5fq]

Chuck! You are the best 😂

[@19Pixel]

As for Simone, there’s also a significant amount of spring built into the floor.

[@Hokie94CPA]

Here's another player who changed the rules of his game.... Gary Gait. He played lacrosse at Syracuse University where he created a slam dunk for lacrosse. He would get the ball behind the goal, run at the back of the goal, jump over the crease, and slam it into the goal. It was absolutely indefensible. Within a year or three of its arrival at Syracuse, the Powers That Be changed the rules so you can't shoot at the goal from behind.

[@reynoldsmathey]

Chuck Liu is looking like Spock during his Kolinahr trials. Vulcan Hippie.

[@eagle___shadow]

Hmmm🤔🤔..wait wait..where's my kopi..relaxs boys.. the word not over yet😉😁🙏🙏

[@NezD]

Ive heard a similar story as Chuck tells about Cyclists being over to overcome the lactid acid buildup in their muscles.: Specifically on the final lap, how it is that Cyclists/Runners run their fastest although the body chemically is the most broken down.

[@e1123581321345589144]

Just to clear thing up, the guy from Marathon in the span of a few days ran from Athens to Sparta, from Sparta to Marathon and from Marathon to Athens and then dropped dead. This man was crucial to the success of the battle because he informed the army that the Spartans wouldn't arrive in time and based on that information they changed tactics and eventually won. Had They waited for the Spartans to arrive they would have had no chance of success.

[@levitheentity4000]

yeay, juicy topic

[@eagle___shadow]

Yeah😁

[@danielstone9978]

Neil "in the observable" deGrasse "geek universe" Tyson

[@roberthutchison8197]

This is about basketball and 2 guys who also changed a game, one being Bob Cousy and Pete Maravich, with their ball handling skills...

[@mehdibaghbadran3182]

If you looking your brains on any targets you’ll get the victory over anything

[@Evagamii]

Neil For President Of Astrophysics Chuck for Department of Labor #Startalk According to quantum theory a tachyon is a faster than light particle. In theory can a tachyon escape a black hole's gravitational pull?

[@SmartDave60]

Wilt Chamberlain blocked the Kareem sky hook.

[@vanjavalavanja]

Yeah, only once, and the only one

[@quantacipher]

I love NDT. 🤩

[@tlgr3g]

Charles Liu is back, with more hair! ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ

[@MarianaSantos1974]

Please use the metric system, I have no idea who's feet your taking about, mine are 28,5cm(L) and 28,3cm(R)

[@kirbyspencer538]

The metric system will not in any way identify "who's feet your taking about". Also, in the imperial system of language we would have said "whose feet you're talking about" which are three differences in just a matter of five words, a far more significant impact. You're welcome.

[@MarianaSantos1974]

@@kirbyspencer538 that's your argument? Very scientific 👏🏻

[@kirbyspencer538]

@@MarianaSantos1974 Yes, my argument is that the metric system will not in any way identify the feet in question. Do you have an argument?

[@MarianaSantos1974]

@@kirbyspencer538 the imperial system is used only in the US, Liberia and Myanmar. All medical equipment around the world is built on the metric system. Nasa, ESA and all the official offices of the UN use the metric system. Papers delivered around the academic world use the metric system only, The Scientific Method, when developed used the metric system. If you weren't able to understand my English, I'm much obliged to say the same in Dutch, Spanish, French and Portuguese, let me know.

[@kirbyspencer538]

@@MarianaSantos1974 If you make as many mistakes (three in five words) in those languages I'm sure it will be just as amusing. Have at it.

[@Stick-a-fork-in-Gmorks-tort]

SlamBall physics

[@kshitijbhagwat1978]

Neil, what she did is really impossible. She is just great

[@eagle___shadow]

Jump son..jump!!.. don't afraid .. come to papa😁😁

[@sherrylennondewitt4102]

Gymnasts 🥀

[@michaelcotton3524]

Need Tony Hawk, Steph Curry, Tiger Woods on the next one

[@Li01018]

Normal conversation* Charles: if you put a cheetah behind sprint athletes we could break many of the world records in our generation.

[@mehdibaghbadran3182]

Always looking for a new technique

[@petersage5157]

Two dimensions, three dimensions, five, it doesn't matter - if axes of rotation intersect, it has to be at a single point. Besides, you can't have rotation about two axes in only two dimensions. This is simple calculus, people!

[@pistitoth1363]

Tisztelt Tyson ! Hagyjuk a demagóg régi elképzeléseket ! Egy új elmélet evolúciós ugrás előtt , kellene felálítani megismertetni az emberiséggel OK! Mert nem minden vizuális dolgok igazak ! De a mikronmechanika az nem hazudik ! Érthető ? Tehát a mikrogravitácíó + mechanika + neutron besugárzás + életképződési feltételek = ÉLET

[@alexhutchings4477]

I love space

[@mirceastroescu]

Maybe it will be interesting to talk about what humanity should expect from the James Webb Space Telescope.

[@mehdibaghbadran3182]

The brains can brings your energies together, at the moment your body needs

[@joethemariner]

0:15 [Whistles in deGrass Tyson]

[@ManaBDew]

Helium in a Football 🏈 😁👍 Would be interesting

[@markcovey3204]

The bicycle kick! You had a soccer player and didn't touch the bicycle kick!

[@vanjavalavanja]

I love all of those guys, and the way they make science exciting. I've become hooked on star talk. But it's obvious none of them ever played basketball. NO basketball player EVER looks at the ball while he is shooting. And furthermore, Jabbar's skyhook wasn't unstoppable because it was at the rim level when he released it, it was already above the rim level. Still, untrue it couldn't be blocked according to the rules, you could still block it while it was going up, but you would basically have to jump over jabbar and account for his "wing span", so thats why it was unlockable.

[@michaelmangan7963]

Charles said “Yogi Berra” the first time. At least that’s what I heard. Neil misheard him.

[@mehdibaghbadran3182]

If you suddenly disappeared, everyone looking for you , and you’ll be found quickly

[@kflicted]

[@Techfieldspaceguy]

Def❤️

[@webmonkees]

Curling, the sport is full of Science.