Why Are Thermoses So Effective?

How do insulated cups keep your drink hot? Neil deGrasse Tyson, with the help of comedian Chuck Nice, explains the physics of heat transfer, insulation, and why your Stanley cup can keep your drink cold in a fire.
Learn about conduction, convection, and radiation. We break down methods to prevent heat transfer and how insulation works to keep the heat to one side. What does heat do when there is no air like in space? Plus, learn how the Apollo 13 mission used a trick with convection to save energy.
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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
00:00 - Introduction: Thermodynamics of Heat Transfer
00:25 - Conduction
3:12 - Convection
4:12 - Radiation
5:40 - Insulation & Preventing Heat Transfer
8:02 - Why Ice Water Survived in a Stanley Cup
12:00 - Heat Transfer in Space & Apollo 13
15:26 - Radiative Heat From the Sun

[@StarTalk]

Team Stanley or Hydroflask? 🤔

[@obeachbabe21o]

none of the above. BRUMATE ERA ❤

[@mral6809]

People do this to camp fires when it's coldout and not just pretending to be out in space close to the Sun. They heat the front and then turn around to heat their backsides. When it's super cold out, like Michigan in February at zero degrees, you end up doing quarter turns instead of the 180 turn to keep everything warm. Sort of like those hot dog cooker in gas stations or 7/11s. FYI - camp fires burn faster and a little hotter if you create a pyramid or teepee style versus laying the logs flat. Heat rises causing the wood to catch fire faster and burn hotter.

[@Onio_Saiyan]

I've got a Stanley, and used to have a hydroflask. I'm partial to the Stanley.

[@isaach1447]

@startalk What about when we use lasers to cool down particles close to absolute zero…what kind of transfer is that?

[@chevylization]

Team Yeti here

[@scott4092]

LOL my dad used to say "You trying to heat the whole outdoors of Alaska?!" 😆

[@songOmatic]

"we live in NEW JERSEY, DAD!" 😂

[@scott4092]

@@songOmatic lol I used to live in Alaska but yeah that would have been even funnier 😂

[@jblfire6969]

True😅

[@KoRntech]

You guys brighten my day.

[@samhill93]

Exactly what I was going to write, I’m grinning to ear to ear while watching.

[@songOmatic]

BRIGHTEN? THROUGH CONVECTION, CONDUCTION OR RADIATION?

[@danquaylesitsspeltpotatoe8307]

So it heat making neils pupils so dilated? LOL

[@Qoride]

the light radiating from your computer or phone quite literally does brighten up your day, depending how how long you stare at your screen

[@achaljoshi402]

Idk about heat transfer, but you two have nailed KNOWLEDGE transfer ❤. Love and Gratitude 😘

[@BenAt_it]

I’m so glad I was born in this time period to witness startalk🤩 Thank you guys🙏

[@Qoride]

as a dominos employee for 2 and a half years, I've discovered a fourth type of heat transfer when I'm handling fresh pans hot out of the oven, it's called painful.

[@Vrapsy]

HA

[@HH-mb778w]

thank you for your service, Im having dominos right now.

[@michaelccopelandsr7120]

Neil and Chuck for 2024!

[@silvershadow013]

Would be a lot better than the electile dysfunction we got now

[@carrito1981]

I would be the first one at the polls.

[@michaelccopelandsr7120]

@@carrito1981 In an altruistic society, I believe these two would be on the ballot. They remind me of my parents. One gave me a mind that can see the big picture. The other gave me the heart to not go crazy over what I saw. Of course, where I come from, crazy is a compliment. ;-P

[@shanelittle7011]

You're the man, Neil. Thanks for all you do and educating me more than I can put into words.

[@shanelittle7011]

I guess I technically just used words

[@ShonMardani]

I do not understand how vibration can be measured as temperature, if we accept it as true you still need to explain how vibration converts and moves by convection or radiation back and forth then finally back to conduction. Also I never saw convection current in my hot soup (it can happen if you have an uneven heat source from under in liquid or gas), heat doesn't move only up or down, it moves horizontally as well otherwise there can not be convection current.

[@bobair2]

Again I learned and was refreshed in knowledge.

[@johnVidBozo]

Chuck outdid himself on this one!

[@YCIGAFSN]

Just last Tuesday I was explaining all this to a friend that is new to bush crafting and camping. He was having so much trouble keeping warm this winter even with all his gear. I drew diagrams explaining conductive, convective, radiant heat transfer; told him what type of gear to use and how to set it up so that he would have absolutely no issues keeping warm even in zero degree temps wit just a small fire. He went and purchased the items I told him about and he went camping on Saturday. He told me yesterday that he set things up just like I said and he had to take his jacket and extra layers off because it got so hot in the shelter. He said he was down to his pants and a T-shirt and was still getting too hot and even had to step out from the shelter from time to time. He always takes a thermometer with him and said that under the shelter it got to 109 degrees at one point and down to 12 degrees out of the shelter.. He didn't know what the wind chill was but he did say the winds were around 10 to 20 MPH. Now he wants me to teach him all I know about survival.

[@agent5758]

what type of gear did you tell him to get?

[@YCIGAFSN]

@@agent5758 I've been doing this kind of set up since I was in the boy scouts in the mid 70's. Two reflective surfaces and a fire in between. There are many ways to set up the shelter part. I actually show this to my troupe after my uncle showed it to me. I was like 8 or 9 years old at the time. I'm actually surprised that someone put up a video about this; I don't know why this configuration has been kept a secret for so many years. Rather than giving a lengthy explanation here, I just found a video from David Canterbury that will give you some ideas. The link won't post here for some reason, so this is the video title "Camp Fire Heat TRUTH vs FICTION How to maximize the Heat from a Fire for Winter Survival and Camping". Looks like it was posted 9 days ago. They just don't make gear like they used to so you will have to do with what you can find available these days. He does a parabolic style cover, which I have done before, but you can have a tarp in a lean-too configuration and pull the outer corners in about 45 degrees to make sides. The opposing reflective surface doubling as a wind break is a key component and the size of your fire does not need to be big, just a long, small fire.

[@YCIGAFSN]

@@agent5758 My reply to you disappeared. It's astounding how mundane a post can be and it still gets deleted. Hope at least you got it.

[@MightOfOgun]

Make a video and teach us all 😃

[@YCIGAFSN]

​@@MightOfOgun I put another post here pointing to info with a short explanation but it got deleted. Not posting again. Videos I don't do. So your options are... Look it up; I did find one video about it the other day. Ask an avid survivalist. Or, the self reliant and best way would be to activate a few brain cells and figure it out; the science was just explained in this video.

[@edwardcalvet]

Chuck was on a roll today, Hysterical. Good one❤

[@JD987abc]

Chuck always shows up in his comedic yet informative rile with NDT.

[@Dandontlie]

I learned this from my textbook in chapter 4, but I'm glad there's always something new to learn that were not in the pages.

[@mztee8107]

Informative and entertaining as always. Thank you both. 😊 ❤️

[@kewa86]

Love these animations for illustration purposes. Keep it up

[@MrBibobs]

You doing amazing work! It's interesting, it's simple, it makes me really understand stuff! Thanks for that ❤

[@brucepoppie3543]

Neil & Chuck, Being old , I remember that the glass theromoes were known as :Vacuum Thermoses": as they has no air between the layers of glass. If you lost that vacuum their insulating ability diminished and by a lot. One wrong move could ruin your thermos. it having a thin walled vacuum bottle. As for the double paned window glass, the better window panes have an inert gas such as nitrogen between the panes. Nice talk otherwise. Bruce

[@naga9384]

I am becoming smarter every time I watch your videos. This explains a lot of things that happen in our kitchen and in our daily lives. I wonder why I didn't get this in school. Last week, I was explaining to my colleague about his ignorance about following a regional calendar that doesn't include leap day every four years and all about under correction and overcorrection. His birthday has moved a week earlier in 25 years, and it's nowhere near the original date that he was born. Neil, you are a fantastic teacher; you inspire me to teach science to my daughter, and I feel Chuck is another reason why so many get both knowledge and entertainment at the same time. Like Jackie Chan, action and comedy at the same time. I love your duo. Please keep it coming.

[@mikep490]

An excellent explanation, as always. Well stated, except the thermos is slightly different. The inner bottle is double walled mirror with a vacuum in the middle. (Fewer air molecules = less heat loss.) On rugged models the inner bottle is stainless steel instead of mirrored glass and it still works as well. Thermopane windows are sealed but don't use a vacuum. Argon or Krypton gas is often used because these gasses are slower in heat transfer. UV and IR can be blocked with a ceramic coating. Some windows instead used a suspended sheet of tint plastic to block UV and worked as a 3rd pane.

[@shirleywest9402]

Dr. Tyson, listening to your blather is always an informative pleasure!!!

[@ben_clifford]

9:52 earned my like. This is why you have a comedian as your co-host. 😂

[@geekedstoner4209]

I find it amazing how you guys put out videos of topics I've recently been looking into😂😂!! Thanks for quenching my thirst for more knowledge 💪🏾💪🏾!! Smokin a chatty jus 4 you Chuck!!!

[@B-Nice]

This is right up my alley!!! I'm a heat transfer technician!!

[@superchevys10]

I always wondered if heat rises in the space station! So glad you answered that in this video!

You guys radiate my day

[@tanbui7869]

These animations are so helpful!

[@Aremuole]

Exellent duo très instructif et drôle. Bravo

[@clefairy4208]

Finally got to become patron last night after watching since beginning!!!!!!! Also my cosmo queries,astrophysics for people in a hurry book's get here Saturday along with my new telescope and ect!!!!!!!!!! YAAAAAY

[@The-binge_710]

GREAT CONTENT

[@Palidine4M0O]

Love your additions, chuck

[@johncayley7838]

I work in a warehouse.. I constantly attempt to explain these principles to my coworkers to no avail. They open the bay doors on our south facing building to cool off on summer days... But the suns radiative heat and lack of wind just make the whole warehouse hotter. It's infuriating.

[@fluid1614]

So many pearls dropped in this vid. Nice!!!

[@joannagase6392]

Brilliant!! Thank you so much. Joan, UK.

[@gusgarcia150]

Awesome explainer! Love the show!!

[@AriBarbAri]

You two are some of my favorite people. Thanks for what you do!

[@The_Nonchalant_Shallot]

Ah yes, a StarTalk explaining the laws of Thermos Dynamics :D

[@Kevlar-78]

This was amazing. Love you both

[@joemug4079]

Fantastic episode. I like being in “class” with Neil. And Chuck.

[@akaBrilliant26]

Love these guys! Great combo of hard science and knowledge and comedy!

[@judiarevalo8580]

I needed these guys today ❤

[@dinosaur0073]

Thanks, Gentlemen, you made it so fun to learn.

[@ektoraskontos3384]

Very nice animation!!!

[@estlhm805]

Great video where if you didn't know, it's very well explained.

[@mikejeff6012]

That was a good one

[@alexbeu3086]

Chuck kept my heart warm and Neil my mind cool.

[@7_of_9]

Now do Induction stoves!!! This thing is freaking amazing 😍

[@sapelesteve]

It seems to me that this video is an older one as I have seen it before. Still a good one! 👍👍💥💥

[@adbrad123]

Okay, I listened to the audio-only version of this conversation earlier, but the graphics back this version imminently more entertaining. 😂 Way to covert over KZbin users!

[@sameera_viraj_K]

wow So much information that i didnt knew. Thank you Both. Love you neil 😍❤

[@whit1722_playz]

Anyone else going to his show in South Carolina this Monday

[@_Mute_]

Is convection really a legitamte form of heat transfer? I mean it physically moves hot particles around sure, but the particles themselves don't lose energy. Conduction and radiation actually transfer energy between matter, and convection just helps facilitate those. Would that be correct to say?

[@zacharyhenson5376]

i'm sure i learned this in school. but this video was highly informative :)

[@jupiterfalls8751]

Fun fact I took hvac and depending on where you are in America for instance we had to take atmospheric pressure in consideration how someone has their unit set up in Idaho will not be the same as someone in Florida I just always thought that was neat thank you that is all.

[@kjmav10135]

I just made a tea cosy, and now I understand why it works, and why it isn’t as efficient as a double paned glass window. thank you.

[@iNinBreak]

i have something i call a "warmte bubbel" or "heat bubble" in english which is basically the air around me while im sitting thats just abit warmer then the rest but leaves the moment i stand up to do anything making it possible to sit around in something that shouldnt keep me warm enough to not feel cold but only feeling the cold after i disturped it its abit like the 0g thingy he explained abit later but probably to a lesser degree because of convection

[@pattiklaus9580]

Great transfer of heat info!

[@HH-mb778w]

youre the best Dr.

[@chrisblack9851]

Chuck is my guy man. Love this man

[@AlonzoJ-pf4dt]

Hi from AL

[@nilestyle42]

Nothing like watching to men that look like me discuss the deep things of physics and heat transfer. Great one, as always guy’s!

[@user-cs3vp9bt4l]

Came for the science, staying for the science, but totally hooked by the banter

[@sheilahardin6868]

Interesting video

[@theduder2617]

My favorite insulator for food and beverages... negative air pressure. There is a very minimal transfer of heat at the top of the container where the two stainless steel walls meet, but it is very minimal if the container is kept upright. Keeps cold much more efficiently, but 8-10 hours of hot is acceptable for me.

[@belterglj]

State change doesn't seem to have been mentioned. When you put the lid on the soup you create a vaper pressure that could slow down evaporation so the soup cools slower. Evaporation transfers energy form the soup to the steam.

[@nedcarlton409]

We had that lunch box when I was a kid!! We had a Space 1999 set also!

[@warstory798]

good timing i would love to know your thoughts on tesla turbine/pump

[@theatheistpaladin]

This is your master class on thermodynamics by Neil Degrasse Tyson.

[@user-vl6zm5dx8c]

I love startalk. If only my physics and engineering teachers TALKED like this. 😂😂

[@seantlewis376]

I love the way Dr. Tyson explains things, but it's often on topics that I learned in the 8th grade. Still, I understand how it is necessary to educate people, even adults, in how the basics of science work. I have a couple of very effective Thermos-like bottles. They are very good at decreasing the efficiency of thermal transfer by having two layers of aluminum separated by a small gap of a vacuum. The only point for convection is where both the inside and outside skins meet at the base of the mouth. I can put hot tea in there, and it will still be warm the next day. Conversely, I can put in iced tea, and there is still ice in there the next day.

[@_TheDeanMachine]

My understanding of campfires have forever changed 🤯

[@5stardave]

The Black Hole will always be one of my most favorite movies. The soundtrack was awesome too.

[@entchee9342]

You guys are the best!

[@EPS5000]

I burned myself today on the frying pan, that's a form of heat transfer. I was washing it and thought I hit all the parts with cold water before touching it, but I missed one spot and touched it with my bare hand.

[@Sugarkraft]

Solarcaine.

[@jeinnerabdel]

Not sure about the heat transfer but probably... Skin transfer!

[@voodoochild2968]

Get some vanilla in a spray bottle,spray burn for quick relief

[@LukeSumIpsePatremTe]

Cold water destroyes the hot pan.

[@macysondheim]

Lol what a bozo 🤣🤣🤣😂😂 HOW DID YOU NOT KNOW YOU MISSED A SPOT BIG ENOUGH TO BURN YOUR HAND ON A BIG FRYING PAN!!?? 😆😆🤣🤣🤣😅 BAAAAAAHHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAA!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@EvenStar303]

Yes we have learnt all this in elementary school in Hungary. 45 years ago.

[@BenjySparky]

Neil and Chuck, y'all rock! Peace

[@carrito1981]

Radiation is a different beast. What an amazing tool, adversary and challenge.

[@RandallHallKaizenReiki]

I didnt have a fire in my car, but I did have an insulated water bottle made of metal sitting in my car in the Texas sun one time. The metal was too hot to touch, but there was still ice inside it.

[@netgnostic1627]

I was hoping to hear them talk about vacuum bottles, where the air has been evacuated from the space between the layers before the rim is sealed

[@nathanrussell2158]

You guys are awesome.

[@marcusfusco1441]

I asked this question in third grade. No surprise the teacher had no idea how to respond to a third grader asking about thermo dynamics

[@jenniferblooms8283]

Light it up! 😂 Have missed you two. 😂😊❤

[@brianjones6500]

You can also consider high end hot sauce. I like Star Talk. May your content be forever directional^9

[@LeoMetcalf]

The two of you are hilarious,I love watching the videos And Neil I volunteer to do what Chuck said you needed ,,,lol

[@tripendicular]

Make this series mandatory viewing to vote 😊

[@topspacesource]

Explain the leakage from the classic Thermos from the 80s!😎. Everyone I went to grade school with had a leaky thermos

[@alexandrarabinovici3826]

I love you Chuck

[@alvesbruno4900]

That's the smartest thing I've heard this year.😂

[@doupnetwork]

I'm learning about thermoses while using a thermose

[@davidschneider5462]

Thanks for the video. One thing that always bothers me watching movies or tv is when they use an IR scope or satellite to see people inside buildings. I would think that only the windows (not insulated) or a thin building material that easily transfers radiant heat would allow you to see and track people. Otherwise I don't see how it could work.

[@LaserFur]

And fiberglass alone has a air convection problem when it gets down to -40F(or C) and adding a small amount of cellulose insulation fixes that. And pushing cellulose insulation past R60 needs some fiberglass to prevent settling. Welcome to Zone8 information.

[@neverpure20]

Quite a funny episode :)

[@AnglandAlamehnaSwedish]

Chuck is great

[@tatotato85]

Waaah i was just thinking about heat transfer

[@mayham187]

😂😂20 seconds in I'm already laughing and learning

[@casperastronomy]

It was one of these questions, that we all had as a kid 👆🏻

[@1monagale]

Hilarious and funny and insight has transferred 😂

[@jamesgreenler8225]

Insulation and shielding are important for space travel , maybe more than we think.

[@Nauda999]

I actually heard that problem is not burning up while traveling in space instead of staying warm, Whatever source of energy it might be, nuclear or what not, would be inside the ship to have access to fix it in case something breaks or goes wrong, but that also means some of that heat from engine would get into the ship, that means all that heat would have to be transferred out, even heat from human body over extended period would build heat up the inside to 37C the normal body temperature and then keep going higher.

[@NALOvs]

I'd buy an "infrared until you're dead" t-shirt for sure!😂