Bose-Einstein Condensate, Collisions, The Physics of Fire –TYTYK

About This Episode

What happens to matter when the temperature gets near zero kelvin? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice explore things you thought you knew about Bose-Einstein condensate, high impact collisions, and how stuff burns.

What is Bose-Einstein condensate? First, we explore exotic states of matter and condensed matter physics. Is there a state beyond solid? Learn about phase changes, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, and the quantum realm. Are all particles also waves? Discover supersolids, superfluids, and superconductivity. Plus, how do particle accelerators work? We hope this explainer ends up being super-educational.

What are the physics of car accidents? We dive into transferring kinetic energy and the physics of a moving vehicle. What is a crumple zone and how can they save your life? Learn about the physics of how seatbeats save you and why wearing them even when the car is going slow is still important. Can a long car crash actually be better? We discuss the point of airbags, internal damage the body might endure, and absorbing kinetic energy. We take a look at surviving high impact collisions… it’s not a miracle, it’s physics!

What is BURNING? We explain what it takes for something to burn. We burn things all the time, but what does that even mean? We break down combustion and why some things burn and others don’t. Can you ever burn water? Find out why just because something gets hot doesn’t mean it will burn. What do all things that burn have in common? We talk about carbon both for burning and eating for chemical energy. Are there any things we eat that don’t contain carbon? What’s the best wood to burn? What makes wood crackle? You’ll learn about soot and CO2 as a byproduct of burning, and other things around the campfire on another StarTalk explainer!

Thanks to our Patrons James Sym, Lyndon Crews, László Plájer, Ricardo Jaquez, David Fosse, Liam McNally, Rebecca Harris, Josh Wise, Henrik jonasson, Vamsi Krishna, Maria Falotico, Drew_Kamera, Kristopher Davis, Chris, Rafael Barão, Garrett, Deucer Doc, Danny Sharp, Hans Schenker bei Google, and Christopher Fazzino for supporting us this week.

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.