Physics of The 2022 World Cup with John Eric Goff

About This Episode

How do aerodynamics affect The FIFA World Cup? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly explore all the science of soccer– or for most of the world, football– with physics professor John Eric Goff. Is this year’s official ball made for scoring goals?

Gary gets giddy about soccer as we explore the physics of a soccer ball and all the elements that affect its dynamics. Discover the mistakes made on the 2010 World Cup Ball, the Jabulani, and why its aerodynamics were different. Learn about drag coefficients and how the ball affects the style of the game. Do you have to adjust the play to fit the ball?

Will the physics of the ball affect who wins? We dive into what type of gameplay will be at an advantage with this year’s ball, The Al Rihla. Does the new FIFA official ball have different physics? Why care about the physics of sports when there is quantum physics? We discuss the benefits of a short passing game versus a long passing game.

We discuss how the climate in Qatar affects game play, the structural problems with FIFA and IOC, and sportswashing. Is there a way to do the World Cup and The Olympics sustainably? What is the future of international global competition in the age of climate change?

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