Episode 139: The Brain on Sports
Symptoms of extreme fandom can sometimes include the wearing of funny hats. Image courtesy of Flickr user seantoyer.
January 20, 2012 | Distillations Staff
Whether it's football season, baseball season, or basketball season, one thing is constant: a good chunk of the population has sports on the brain. On today's episode of Distillations we explore why this is the case. First producer Lindsay Patterson follows a high school basketball team to learn about the role chemistry plays in winning a big game. Then we check in with the fans at home, learning what happens in your brain when you're cheering on your favorite team.
Show Clock
0:00 Opening Credits
0:30 Introduction
1:00 Feature: An Athlete's Chemistry
7:31 The Science of Watching Sports
10:57 Closing Credits
Credits
Special thanks to Ryan Carty and Mia Lobel for researching this show.
Our theme music is composed by Dave Kaufman. Music from the Free Music Archive includes "Kopeika," by et_, and "Shangri-La (instrumental)," by YACHT. This episode also features "Dopamine!," by Ric Seaberg.
Image courtesy of Flickr user seantoyer.