Pool Table Physics with Neil deGrasse Tyson and Dr. Dave Alciatore
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- What was Coriolis, of the famous Coriolis Effect, doing at the pool table? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Gary O’Reilly and Chuck Nice explore the science behind billiards and pool trick shots with billiard physicist Dr. Dave Alciatore.
Discover the history of billiards as we find the science hidden in this parlor sport. How did this game of the French aristocrats become what it is today? Did Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis play pool? Learn about the Coriolis Effect and why the famous scientist was so interested in pool. Can you make a machine to play the perfect billiard game? We break down parabolic paths: does it work the same when the plane is horizontal? We discuss differential equations and how to get the perfect Massé shot to go around your opponent’s ball.
How do you get a ball to jump legally? Is scooping allowed? Find out how to hit the ball with a pool cue to achieve different results. How does friction, gravity, and spin factor in? Does chalking the end of your cue really help you shoot? How have billiard sets changed in their materials over the years? We break down what Chuck’s record is around the pool table. Will this lesson help him catch a break? English, Squirt, Throw. Find out what all this means and more as we take a deep dive into billiards!
Thanks to our Patrons Dylan Elliot, Cody Swayze, Panda Man, Niklas Ekberg, Isaac Lambert, Fortune’s Flavor, and Joshua Grose for supporting us this week.
NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free.
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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!
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Dr. Dave offers probably the best and most comprehensive instructional pool videos on CZcams.
I just found his channel. By far the best.
Albert Einsteins comment on pool-billiards
"Billiards is the well-developed Art of thinking ahead. It is not only a game, but first and foremost a demanding Sport, which requires good stamina, the logical thinking of a chess player and the stable hand of a concert pianist."
It would be cool to have a 9-ball set with the 8 planets, and the sun being the 9. You start with the outermost planet and work your way in to complete the game. Of course, the game is over whenever the sun goes down. :)
The cue ball could be designed like the cosmos ship. Chrome.
I like the cue ball as Haley's Comet
@@OhAncientOne cool handle there, is it a Dr. Strange reference?
@@rocketRobScott Thank You! nope, just realized I may be a very old soul, with experiences, that well, no one else has. Because of this I am hoping I can help some. - Rocket Bob - awesome handle too!
This is brilliant. I’d own that…. If I had the spacetime.
Dr. Dave is an excellent professor. I was fortunate enough to have taken 3 of his courses.
Go Rams!
Meekrob!!
I’m a pool player for decades, Dr Dave represented the pool community beautifully. He’s the perfect rep to send to star talk for sure!
Worlds collide. I’ve seen hundreds of Dave videos and I’ve been watching star talk for years. This is just. Beautiful. No other way to describe it.
Love the diversity of topics on this channel. Keep it up Neil!
I really hope they do one on the Lucy mission to Jupiter that launched yesterday!
Demonstrating that pysics applies to everything!
This was a blast .. dr. Dave is so funny and passionate about the topic .. i wish he comes back to the show
I've watching Dr Dave for years. He's improved my pool game so much. Really glad to see him on Star Talk!
Man, this episode was great! I wish it lasted longer. This guy Dave is awesome, you should invite him often as he knows not only pool but everything around it.
Wow didn't expect to see you here Dr Dave! I've learned so much more about pool since following your channel years ago and greatly improved my plays. What a surprise and great collab for this episode of Startalk on billiards.
Best sports edition topic so far! I have heard pool technique is "just physics" but this is the first real rundown I have seen of said physics. Thanks, all.
If Carl Sagan had written a book about playing pool it would have been titled "Billiards & Billiards".
This is an under-appreciated comment!
The Pale Blue Dot: how chalk changed billiards.
(as the blue chalk leaves a faint dot on the ball)
That's the cleverist comment. Ever.
billiards upon billiards.
sorry.
Golf clap. Well played, sir, well played.
I'm a Mechanical Engineer and was trained at CSU. I took 2 classes from Dr Dave, my freshman intro course and Mechatronics. The man teaches like this, just genius physics speak. I know one thing. He likes Differential Equations and they have many applications from billiards to jet engines to automobile differential helical gears.
Man, I was really looking forward to this interview. It would have been amazing if they would have let dr. Dave finish a complete thought without the interruption of the same, repetitive, played out antidote about losing money playing pool :/
I’ve been following dr Dave for for the past 7 years or so and have leaned a wealth of knowledge about the mechanics of the game from him. This episode could have been so much better if they’d just let him fully answer a question.
I'VE WAITED MY WHOLE LIFE FOR THIS EPISODE!!!!!! LOL
I LUUUUV EVERYTHING POOL RELATED!😍😍👍🎱
wat
same. i was quite excited when i saw on my channels feed
I feel you man!
heavy use of skip ahead required. extreme long interruptions , guest can't get a word in even sideways.
I had to stop what I was doing. Chuck is around and I'm good.
Dr. Dave has the most informative billiards videos online. Thank you for this!
I learned most of all of this reading books, but watching it in video from people like Dr Dave is really good. Dr Dave likes to prove or demonstrate what he is teaching about. There is actually a lot more to consider in pool. One big factor in pool is humidity. If a room is humid the cloth absorbs the moisture and changes things quite a bit. The moisture changes the friction of the cloth, rolling resistance, effects how the balls angle off of the rails, etc, etc. And modern tables that are used in major competitions are coming with smaller and smaller pockets. Pro players will talk about a lot of people in the room change the humidity and effects play. The pros must be quite sensitive to this.
What a guest dr Dave very funny and informative, amazing episode
Enjoyed it, thank you. Nice one Dr. Dave, it was a pleasant surprise to see you on an episode of StarTalk. Great communicator and passion as always.
Well technically anything can be a topic on this channel, as physics involves everything we see and know.
Physics of the holocaust with Neil deGrasse Tyson
I'd like to see the physics of eating shrooms, meeting aliens and a hearing colours.
@@andy-v eating shooms = gravity = einstein / meeting aliens = action x reaction = newton / hearing colours = quantum mechanics = planck............of course this was a joke, didn't you notice? since it is possible to eat mushrooms or anything upside down or in zero gravity.....but the point I want to make is: and remember that we are talking about real things and absolute truths and not ideologies and abstract concepts as you mentioned. It really all depends on the depth with which you approach the subject, and today the evidence points to that human thought, the behavior of neurons and even the origin of consciousness, obey the laws of quantum physics at its most fundamental level(particles)... of course there's still a lot of debate behind the thing, but we haven't found any evidence so far to think it would be any different.
so ultimately, it's all about physics, including the source of the thoughts everybody having right now!
Chess? Number Theory? Jurisprudence? Monetary Policy?
What about ideological constructs they exist in the realm of the human mind so they can be known but not abide by the laws of physics or even some forms of entertainment like video games and movies because they create their own physics for special affects to make the movies or video games look cooler but yet we can still known about them. And not to mention we can also see them.
Dave is so funny, I laugh out loud listening to all of you, hope you will have Dave again on this show.
This episode was so much fun! I laughed the whole time. I love Star Talk and I’m also an avid pool player. So cool to see Dr Dave on the show. 👍
I’m 44 and I grew up with a billiards table in the home, so I’m really pleased to see this episode! It’s the first time I have heard the term “the leave” however. We always called it “playing shape.” As in you have to shape your shots so that each successive shot is shaped nicely. Great topic, guys!
I've always considered a pool table to be a great teaching tool for physics and geometry.
Gravimentrial tool on a lineal scale, for us Mortals who have to live on this Planet lol...
In HS we photographed billiard balla to measure collisions, transfer of energy and deceleration. Had to use a strobe light and Polaroid. Pretty cool to engage us kids with tangible props.
Snooker players take these physics to a whole new level
3cushions players take thede physucs to god level check that out
I was half expecting clips of Efren Bata Reyes tricky shots while they're discussing sing the topic. Would be really nice though.
He is the King...
The guest was great bring him back!!
When I saw the name I was surprised, but it is the same Alciatore. Great professor.
Chuck and Dr. Dave are awesome in this one.
Let the man talk!
Finally. Kind of physics I can understand. Big banks
Great to see Dr. Dave here.
Brilliant show. Never thought I would see two of my favourite things in the same podcast. Pool and science. Well played gents well played
Anyone else pickin up on how disrespectful Neil was getting towards Chuck? Seems like its becoming more prominent lately. #respect to Chuck for handling it like an absolute unit
What are u talking about that’s how it always is
There were at least two times during the interview that a tangent never allowed Dr. Dave to finish the question before Neil was on to something else. I have to echo so many comments here that it was irritating.
I was wanting for Dr Dave to talk about skid but he didn't. Every time you play a bank shot the Q ball or the object ball skids a little when striking the cushion. This effect is magnified the more cushions the Q ball or object ball strike. Great interview. Dr Dave is a fascinating guy. His videos are extremely well laid out and very informative
I can NEVER get "enough" of Neil de Grasse Tyson. He has a way of presenting "brainy" stuff w/o leaving his audience like he was talking down to them.
Been a huge fan of Dr. Dave for years. Thanks for having him on your show.
That was a really AWESOME talk with Dr Neil, Gary, Dr Dave and Chuck cracked some good ones too! My frisbee-dog Luna also incorporates the Coriolis force when tracking the throws she catches.
She’s available as a future guest if you’re interested!
lets get an expert on and then never let him talk
More engineering, yessss 👍! I studied Mechanical Engineering in college, and this video was highly enjoyable!
Only, I gotta be careful not to relive the trauma I suffered studying certain courses. In particular, _Kinematics of Rigid Bodies._ I still get nightmares about Euler angles and the moment of inertia tensor! 😱
(Another was _Fluid Mechanics._ Try as I might, I just wasn't able to solve the Navier-Stokes Equation. Even today I can't.)
For me it was Diff Eq
Dr. Dave is great! Bring him back soon. klb
"We have a line of fine steaks that we offer as well".
"We can call that woke 8-ball"
Giving Neil a hard time about Pluto.
Not to mention everyone else. How are they this amazing at comedy and even greater at science!?
😄😄😄
Doctor Dave is an absolute legend! We must protect the STEM academic/practicing fellows/leaders at all costs.
'The white ball is still in control tho' 🤣 that was great chuck 👍
Billiards, snooker, and pool is a science unto itself lolz
It's all about Geometry and the Knowing...
35:00 NGT "We could just swap them" = Sorry they have different weights to help the table determine which end it will come out of. Agree though they should swap it.
Interesting how highly intelligent yet inexperienced hosts delight in exhibiting their ignorance while depriving the viewer of the expertise of those who actually know the topic at hand. Though Tyson is one of my favorite in most settings, here, he and his relatively ignorant companion would best have simply shut up and let the experts elucidate.
I kinda hate that you had to end this one! It was such a good episode!
Do a follow up episode where you guys discuss examples and show pros doing it in games. Pplneed to see how hard and beautiful this game is
Deep end of THAT pool. NICE ! Thanks for the laughs, the learning and sharing.
Dr. Dave you are awesome
As a pool/billiards player I was waiting for this!!!
Dr Dave is a shining star.
Terrific video Neil & guests! Always loved playing pool, which I consider a really tough game to get good at. When the movie the Hustler was mentioned, I am surprised that no one mentioned Jackie Gleason who was an incredible pool player. In fact, he made most of the difficult shots himself! Anyway, perhaps Neil will do another video about the game of Bowling. Now that would be really interesting....
Minnesota Fat's I believe you're talking about, Jackie Gleason's side kick Ed Norton could have been another Pool Hall Hustle. Yes..?
How about a look at the planet size pool game in the TV show "Red Dwarf"?
Also, submarines are a constant operation of physics in action!
I'm late to the party, but was thinking about this myself...
"It's got no siiide on!"
I've seen Dr. Dave's machine design course make grown men cry. Absolute legend.
I remember my dad taking me to pool halls when I was a teenager. These guys would bring their own sticks in fancy cases and my dad would grab a stick off the wall and clean house. I asked him why he didn't bring his own stick and he said "son, if you can shoot pool, you can shoot pool with a stick of firewood."
Great content. I’ve always like Dr Dave’s videos. Please consider having him back on your show.
"Woke 8-ball" 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣. This guy is hilarious, quick and obviously, geekily enthusiastically passionate about his field
I woke up... czcams.com/video/Wr4ejfbj9-4/video.html
Been watching Dr Dave since 2006 … so surprised that I’m one of the early viewers 😀👍
I really wish they'd bring on steph curry to do a full lengthed show like this.
Tons of physics in hoops.
I mean no disrespect but, I don't think Neil Degrassi Tyson has ever played a game at pool in his life. If you're agree give this a thumbs up but, the man is a genius.
Careful now. You callin' him a liar?
Nor has Chuck. Who is NOT a genius, or a comedian.
@@lingcod91 you are only 50% correct. It would take a genius to figure out what is the correct answer....
This one is amazing, can we do top fuel dragsters next?
Billiards is a carom game (French) with no pockets.
Pool (or precisely "pocket billiards") has pockets (American).
Snooker (Brittish) has a different cut pocket.
That's incredible...I wish I could truly understand WHAT they were talking about.
Best. Show. EVER.
Don’t forget about the little tool that’s basically a tip file but by roughing up the tip a little allows it to hold chalk better.
Awesome show! Just bought Dr. Dave's book.
As a serious pool player of 30+ years, I found this podcast unbearable to watch. It's so disappointing, you can have the brightest minds in the world try to discuss pool with an expert and the same thing will always happen. As soon as the expert tries to explain something, others chime in with some stereotypical, derogatory comment about the game that completely derails the conversation. I applaud Dr. Dave as a great promoter of the sport, and I was glad that they got into some discussion of the Coriolis Effect, but most of the time when a question was directed to Dr. Dave he was unable to give a complete answer due to inane interruptions.
I dont know how well other sports were covered on this podcast, but I certainly hope they gave them more respect than they did the sport of pool and billiards.
I get what you're saying but these guys were having fun and the podcasts are for entertainment.
I agree... IMO Chuck Nice adds nothing to the podcast.
I get what u r saying but all StarTalk episodes share the same spirit, Neil allways works with an humorist (Chuck, most of the times) and they bring a subject to the audience adding humour here and there to make it funny. It's Neil's formula to get science to people :-)
interesting to hear about how pool evolved, how the table originally only had one leg and a monochromatic hole.
You need to do the physics of baseball. Look at a book by Robert K. Adair entitled, wait for it…The Physics of Baseball. It’s been out since 1990 and is a good primer. But I’d love to get your take on it and how the application of physics to baseball in a more scientific way has changed the game, not just in terms of how it’s played but also as to how stadiums are constructed.
Sweet home Fort Collins! QUESTION: Is billiards different 1 mile high vs. sea level? Thanks
Lol There's so many people complaining that he couldn't finish talking about everything to do with pool. Its an hour segment for entertainment, not a documentary. He didn't get to explain everything, but that's not only the host/co-host fault, he was also going off on tangents (interesting tangents, but tangents nonetheless). For a 52 minute segment, I really learned a lot about pool and how to think of it scientifically.
At least get back to the original question from a tangent. There were multiple times the interview just moved on without the question being answered.
One of the greates startalk episodes
Great as always! Why does Dr. Dave remind me of a Beastie Boy? Must be the track suit
I read a book by Minnesota Fats called "The Bank Shot and Other Great Robberies" years ago, and gleaned enough from the book to inspire me to pay more attention to my game.
I thought it was called the contender...
"Well excuuuuuuse me!" - Dr. Neil "Link" Degrasse Tyson, Hero of Physics.
Thank you for this topic. You guys are amazing.
You guys are awesome!! I wish I could play like my pops used to .. love the show
Fun historical fact : While the movies raised his fame as "Minnesota Fats", he was actually known as "New York Fats" or occasionally (affectionately) as "Fattie"... He never shot a friendly game, always hustling for money. He also wrote his own book on the game, titled "On Pool". In it, he fairly simplifies an aiming system and geometry for function at a pool table during legitimate play... AND he includes quite a collection of alternative games for more than two players, and explains the purposes of such utensils as the Kelly bag, chalk for cues as opposed to chalk for hands, and a certain lamentation for the game gravitating too much toward men in seedy bars to be inclusive to women as a more wholesome and family or friendly oriented social game... though a couple of the variant games were intended to be played between couples.
AND don't forget to spread the word, "Fattie shot out the lights!" (if you know, you understand)... ;o)
Dr Dave was my Mechatronics teacher at CSU!
Billiards is a very uncommon game in the UK, where we mainly play Snooker or Pool. I wonder why it's so popular in the US.
This was awesome, I just wish you guys (NEIL) actually let him finish a subject. There's like 3 shots he hasn't talked about. Never finished explaining the jump shot. Didn't talk about the trick shot compitition... Come on.
Regarding the shot making, watch "things done here" video on his auto aiming queue. It's absurdly good
Dr.Dave is the best, get your game up best star talk ever!!!
POOLHALL JUNKIES! a great movie about pool.
Yes! I love playing Billards Pool! I was in league for bit. I mean I’m not amazing at it, but I’m definitely not horrible at it either. 😅
This was a lot more interesting than I thought it would be
This whole conversation reminds me of that time Lister played pool with planets in Red Dwarf and had to get "nicely drunk" first to find his form. Funny episode!
When did they make the conversion from lawn mallets to cue pool?
It's never good to come up against a "shooter" but even more so to come up against a "mechanic". The person who can not only pot balls, but while doing so can remedy problem situations on the table. Loads of fun.
I am just a minute in, but let me say this: Billiars, Pool, Snooker are all different games.
They all follow the same law of physics though.
@@paulvamos7319 as apposed to not? Lol
@@jacobilton6879 XD
Wowsers as a lover of your channel and learning from you and being a pool player I loved this video definitely my favorite ever thanks a lot Neal for this gem and One Pocket is the greatest billiards game ever invented it's the number one game in Derby city and the US open now more players in that tournament than 9 ball and 10 ball respectfully. Be awesome if you had Efren Reyes in the video the greatest player in history
im glad you are excited like i am😂ive been listening to star talk for years and was quite excited when i saw this today
Do the names of Fast Eddie and Minnesota Fat's, bring back any nostalgic too you, if not I'm sure you don't remember the Honeymooners on the Jackie Gleason show...
@@steve-o6413 yes and a lot of people don't know that The Color of Money is the sequel to the Hustler
This reminds me of a segment from Donald Duck in math magicland where he learns about the angles of a pool table but it's so well done of it Disney short I'm actually going to watch it after I finish this video but the way that the animators did it exactly what Dr Dave and Chuck were talking about
Right. And he showed how the d diamonds on the rails were used in the geometry.
@@edandkathyotoole6521 yes It's also useful in what I call bumper pool It might be called snooker elsewhere
Dr. Dave will one time take Chuck's job at Star Talk
the variables come in to play, chalk/ wear on the tip of cue/wear on the table/type of cue...
@ 16:05 - It's the (CORIOLIS AIMING SYSTEM) coupled with a (QUE-BALLISTIC) A.I. MISSLE APPERATUS.