Summary
In this episode of Star Talk Sports Edition, the hosts answer cosmic queries from their listeners. In the first segment, they discuss the topic of oxygen deprivation in swimmers and how athletes are able to push their bodies while getting less oxygen. They also touch on the evolution of Earth's atmosphere and how the conversion from CO2 to oxygen was the most significant extinction event in the history of life on Earth. In the second segment, they discuss which sport requires the highest level of hand-eye coordination. They mention table tennis, fencing, and baseball as examples.
The hosts also discuss various sports and their difficulty levels, mentioning Formula One, ping pong, fencing, baseball, tug of war, triple jump, speed walking, rhythmic gymnastics, and water polo. They joke about the possibility of an average person competing alongside elite athletes in the Olympics to provide a frame of reference for their abilities. The hosts have a lighthearted conversation about sports and their quirks.
The podcast features a conversation between Neil deGrasse Tyson and Charles Liu, who answer various questions from listeners. They discuss the physics behind gymnasts' ability to jump high during floor routines, the job prospects for physics graduates, and the use of prosthetics in paralympic swimming. They also touch on the use of technology to make javelins fly further and the aerodynamics of throwing objects.
The hosts emphasize the importance of allowing athletes to compete in their natural state and not forcing them to conform to a uniform standard. At the end of the episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson encourages listeners to keep looking up. Overall, the episode covers a wide range of topics related to sports and science, providing interesting insights and perspectives for listeners.
