High Jump on the Moon & Quidditch on Jupiter with Neil deGrasse Tyson & Charles Liu | Cosmic Queries

Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly answer fan questions about low-gravity physics, the weight of Thor’s hammer, aerodynamics and more with physicist Charles Liu.

We explore games in Star Trek like Parrises Squares and other geeky games. How much does Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, weigh? How high could a high jumper jump on the moon? We break down gravitational acceleration and do some physics calculations.

Could you play a sport on Jupiter or Saturn? Find out what it would be like to play Quidditch on Jupiter. Would you be able to shoot an arrow farther on the moon? Could you throw something into orbit? We discuss golfing at high altitude and the effects of air pressure and humidity on the movement of the ball.

Will we ever reach a point where we can’t create any more world records? Could we just start modifying people? We also get into the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. What challenges will they have to watch out for? How will they work around the heat? All that and more on another grab bag Cosmic Queries!

FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk:

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

[theperfectbotsteve]

Neil and Chuck are such a perfect duo like Shrek and donkey or ketchup and mustered

[jeffnaslund]

The chemistry between you four is always worth watching

[tripendicular]

I love that Neil is confident. I was always taught to be quiet with my ideas or comments. Sometimes I’m taken back by his strong voice and I have to remember we don’t have to make ourselves small to please others.

[yarrowbumblefoot]

Chuck, I love the way you hold your own with these guys. You're humor is brilliant and cracks me up. Keep it coming!

[GSOF_Reagan]

Ya know….I wish I had friends I could discuss topics with on this high a level…no ego just objective observation and discussion…seems like a really good time

[TeaRex]

What a perfect time for a new StarTalk! I've been struggling with severe anxiety lately and have been listening to a backlog.

[kellyrico]

Our GEEK IN CHIEF I love the episodes with the Doctor You simply know it will be juicy

[ExeD]

The hammer is forged by the heat of the neutron star. Made of an Asgardian metal called "Uru" and contains the magic powers of Odin that gives the hammer an artificial intelligence to know when a living being that is worthy or unworthy is trying to wield it.

[Nefville]

Charles is such a great guest, love his enthusiasm.

[J_MM]

The way they de-aged neil in the thumbnail has me lmao 😂

[mydg]

But how does the reduced gravity affect the run up on the high jump? There will be less friction between the foot and the ground, the jumper may not be able to accelerate laterally as quickly.

[corm]

I've always pictured Star Trek's Parisi Squares as a futuristic take on the sport of Jai Alai it is played worldwide, although it's especially popular in Spain, France, and in various Latin American countries. You can see a Jai Alai player in the opening sequence of the 1980s US TV show Miami Vice. I've always thought of Parisi Squares as Star Trek's take on the sport of Jai Alai b/c Jai Alai can be a dangerous sport even with the correct safety equipment for the sport.

[ParkeWithoutReverse]

Dr. Tyson looks like Carlton about to dance in this thumbnail.

[bobspringer]

One thing you did not take account of in the high jump. Dr. Tyson mentioned the center of mass with respect to how high the jumper goes, but using the Fosbury Flop, the center of mass does not ever get as high as the bar unless they clear by a large amount. That is one reason why the flop gives a good advantage over previous styles of jumping where the entire body of the jumper had to be over the bar.

[mikeweagle]

Gentlemen, An interesting discussion. With regard to hitting a golf ball at high altitude, may I suggest a practical experiment. Have a pro golfer hit a few drives in Chile's Atacama dessert. I believe there are a number of observatories there at high altitude and low air density. For that matter surely there are some amateur golfers among the staff of the facilities there who could generate sufficient data to compare with their scores at sea level.

[Riclmnopp]

You need to go on the Lex Fridman podcast.

[hopesjourneyVA]

Finally I got this notification faster than I usually get them! _(3 days later)_

[Scott-wqlk]

I can only dream to be as cool as Charles Liu at some point in my life

[khamel]

I had the idea of how we could make a game, in the real world, that is as similar to quidditch as possible. What I came up with, was a giant dodecahedron with a web of handrails throughout. Put the structure in space, with next to 0 gravity, players could use the handrails to throw themselves across the open areas. Automated drones of different sizes take the place of bludgers and the snitch. The three goal rings would be held out from opposing faces of the structure.

[baddoodle]

This was a super wholesome episode. Really enjoyed the chemistry of everyone. Always so much fun