Distillations Episode 139: The Brain on Sports
Series: Distillations - The Chemistry Podcast
From: Chemical Heritage Foundation
Length: 00:11:37
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.
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Piece Description
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.
Broadcast History
Podcast on Jan. 20, 2012.
Timing and Cues
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
Additional Credits
Special thanks to Ryan Carty for researching this show, and Mauricio Delgado for his thorough information about the brain on sports.
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.





