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Neil deGrasse Tyson Tackles the Science of Game of Thrones
Neil deGrasse Tyson, famous in part for using his scientific literacy to point out flaws in TV and movies, recently criticized the good and bad science behind HBO's Game of Thrones.
29 September, 2017
Lord Tyson?
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b8c02b12-ceb8-c559-1cb1-90676c0c2d4d"> </span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>Astrophysicist, author, and science communicator Neil DeGrasse Tyson has in recent years earned himself a label with which he doesn't quite agree: <em>pop-culture nitpicker.</em></span></p> <blockquote> </blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span>“I got branded as someone who nitpicks,” Tyson said in a </span><a href="http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2017/09/neil-degrasse-tyson-wants-to-school-trump/startalk" target="_blank"><span>2017 interview</span></a><span> with <em>Complex</em>. “I took private offense at that. Here’s why: If you’re watching a Jane Austen period piece, and people come up to an English countryside home in a horse drawn carriage and somebody gets out of the carriage with tie dye bell bottoms, you would cry foul. You would say the costume designer had their head up their ass. You’d be praised for making that observation. But all of a sudden </span><span>I’m</span><span> a buzzkill.”</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>It started in 2013 when Tyson fired out a barrage of fact-checking tweets about the movie </span><span><em>Gravity</em>.</span></p> <blockquote> </blockquote><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mysteries of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gravity?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gravity</a>: Why Bullock, a medical Doctor, is servicing the Hubble Space Telescope.</p> <p>— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) <a href="https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/386986752914624513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2013</a></p> <p>Tyson has since Tweeted about shoddy science in films such as <em>Alien: Covenant</em>, <em>Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2</em>, and, surprisingly enough, <em>Baywatch</em>. But most recently, Tyson used his scientific literacy to weigh in on decidedly new territory — the medieval fantasy world of <em>Game of Thrones. </em></p> <p><span>Here are a few of his tweets, along with a quick look at the science behind them. (Warning: spoilers ahead.)</span></p> <blockquote> </blockquote><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bad Physics in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GameOfThrones?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GameOfThrones</a>: Pulling a dragon out of a lake? Chains need to be straight, and not curve over hill and dale. <a href="https://t.co/VIJlIuDz3L">pic.twitter.com/VIJlIuDz3L</a></p> <p>— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) <a href="https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/912057088855220226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2017</a></p> <p><script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"> </p><p>Here, Tyson’s referring to a concept in physics called <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/forces-newtons-laws/tension-tutorial/a/what-is-tension" target="_blank">tension</a>: the pulling force transmitted axially by something like a rope, cable, or chain. This force allows objects to be pulled or suspended in the air. But when there’s slack in the rope that means there’s zero tension. That also means zero pulling force.</p> <p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODM0MDY0Mi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NTM3MDE4M30.pdIZAdz2nZ4XPytSjEawwUSSlFh8UC404J1U0MnkqD0/img.png?width=980" id="3f096" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a4bf4c14ccffd478c75621a69c02fd74" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /></p> <p>So, considering there’s slack in the white walkers' chains, it’d be impossible for them to haul the dragon Viserion out of the water. Speaking of the reanimated Viserion, would blue fire really melt the wall?</p> <blockquote> </blockquote><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Intriguing Thermal Physics in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GameOfThrones?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GameOfThrones</a>: BlueDragon breath would be at least a factor of 3X hotter than RedDragon breath <a href="https://t.co/RvpBkqJ1sw">pic.twitter.com/RvpBkqJ1sw</a></p> <p>— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) <a href="https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/912070876950122496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2017</a></p> <p><script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"/> </p><p>This claim seems spot on (except for a couple caveats listed below).</p> <p>Flames are produced through combustion, which is the chemical reaction between a fuel and a compound of oxygen. The general rule is: the hotter the flame, the cooler the color. Flames are reddish between 1,112 and 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit, orangish between 1,832 and 2,192 Fahrenheit, and yellowish between 2,192 and 2,552 Fahrenheit. Any hotter than that, flames enter the blue-violet end of the visible spectrum.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 17px;"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODM0MDY0My9vcmlnaW4uZ2lmIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDM3NjQ2MH0.IjgV7wZZv5_qPItiZ4jDOzEAEAF9AO8OgkAY2BktJhQ/img.gif?width=980" id="b8112" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e4515724bf1f333a03ba92ea5acf696b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /></span></p> <p>But — not to nitpick the nitpicker — there could be some other factors Tyson’s not considering here. First, the colors emitted by flames are sometimes determined by the <a href="https://van.physics.illinois.edu/qa/listing.php?id=1545" target="_blank">molecules and atoms in the fire</a>, not necessarily its temperature. And second, not everyone’s convinced Viserion is breathing fire at all. As Game of Thrones sound designer Paula Fairfield <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/08/game-of-thrones-ice-dragon-zombie-dragon-viserion-burlington-bar-fans-paula-fairfield-sound-design" target="_blank">suggested</a> to Vanity Fair:</p> <blockquote> </blockquote><p dir="ltr"><span>“He’s just going at it and slicing with this. It's kind of like liquid nitrogen. It’s so, so cold. So imagine if that’s what it was, but it’s so cold it’s hot. That kind of thing.”</span></p> <p dir="ltr">Either way, Tyson also tweeted about the biology of the <em>Game of Thrones</em> dragons.</p> <blockquote> </blockquote><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Good Biology in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GameOfThrones?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GameOfThrones</a>: As in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LordOfTheRings?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LordOfTheRings</a>, Dragons forfeited their forelimbs to make wings, like birds & bats. <a href="https://t.co/pguBe6rosQ">pic.twitter.com/pguBe6rosQ</a></p> <p>— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) <a href="https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/912062422898348034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2017</a></p> <p><script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"/> </p><p dir="ltr">Birds appear to be the ancestors of a branch of bipedal, carnivorous dinosaur called theropods. The forelimbs of these upright animals were mostly unnecessary to locomotion, so over time they were modified by evolution to serve other purposes — like flight.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODM0MDY0NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMjU3MDQ2Mn0.LWZsvqNoJgL2ASvQ5tPm8egjhCgBqasXluT2ynkumCk/img.jpg?width=980" id="0544a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b8cff8634577b3edd3d020172a31a693" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><br/><em>Artist rendering of a theropod.</em></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>Capping off his <em>Game of Thrones</em> tweeting spree, Tyson left his followers with a not-so-subtle political message regarding one of the show's most significant cultural customs.</span></p> <blockquote> </blockquote><blockquote> </blockquote><p dir="ltr" lang="en">In the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GameOfThrones?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GameOfThrones</a> Universe, to "bend the knee" represents the very highest form of respect and loyalty.</p> <blockquote>— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) <a href="https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/912299342559694848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2017</a></blockquote> <div class="video-full-card-placeholder" data-slug="neil-degrasse-tyson-the-best-tactic-for-science-education-leverage-the-power-of-pop-culture" style="border: 1px solid #ccc;">
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Is Our Celebrity Obsession Helping to De-Stigmatize Mental Illness?
A rash of teen idols, singers, actors, and actresses have all come out recently detailing their struggles.
30 November, 2016
Actress, singer, and songwriter Demi Lovato is now a mental healthcare advocate.
Few things in our society are stigmatized quite like mental illness. Most people try to hide it or manage it on their own. Few seek help. But it is exceedingly common. Nearly one in five Americans – 42.5 million adults – wrestles with it. Worldwide one in four, or 450 million people, suffer with some sort of psychological issue.
<p>Everyone has their own problems of course, both physical and psychological, to one degree or another. Yet, as humans, our high regard for the brain, intellect, and stability make mental illness seem more shocking and less acceptable. Perhaps for certain societies, it harks back to the idea that those with mental illness are possessed by an evil spirt or even satan. With the advent of science, mental illness became seen as a personal failing rather than a spiritual one.</p> <p>Though seeking treatment may be more acceptable now, the issue of mental illness itself is more pressing today than it has been in decades. The teen suicide rate for instance rose <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/04/22/474888854/suicide-rates-climb-in-u-s-especially-among-adolescent-girls" target="_blank" title="NPR">25%</a> between 1999 and 2014, after a steady downward trend through the '80s and '90s. Today, girls are particularly prone. But it isn’t just teens. Every adult age group under age 75 has seen a significant increase in its suicide rate. The numbers are even more disturbing if we consider that far more attempt the act than accomplish it.</p> <p>One thing that captures our imagination is celebrities. Whether splashed across magazine covers or TV and movie screens, celebrities are the royalty of the modern era. They’ve reached almost godlike status. Outbursts and jaunts with mental illness and substance abuse among them is certainly nothing new. But today, more and more are speaking out about living with a psychological disorder in a deeply personal way, and experts wonder if this might not make a more substantial impression and so lessen the stigma.</p> <p>Teen idol Selena Gomez recently opened up about her struggles with anxiety and depression at the American Music Awards. After accepting hers for favorite female rock-pop artist, she said that along her journey, though she soon “had everything,” she often felt “absolutely broken inside.” Ms. Gomez drove herself hard so as to not disappoint her fans, but forgot to devote some energy to herself. Her advice: “If you are broken, you don’t have to stay broken.”</p> <p> <img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTA1NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjYwMzY4MX0.H9xVUpvPAm1MG3go7kL5qo6p3-S8qhbiyMn5rK2DdyE/img.jpg?width=980" id="f2e0f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f9341e131405b58564fc46aae0a4c51a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></p> <p><em>Selena Gomez recently spoke out about her struggles with anxiety and depression at the American Music Awards. </em></p> <p>Gomez wasn’t the only celebrity popular among young people to open up. Justin Bieber, actress Rowan Blanchard, and model and actress Cara Delevingne have all recently revealed having depression. Singer and songwriter <a href="http://www.teenvogue.com/story/celebrities-who-talk-about-mental-health" target="_blank" title="Teen Vogue ">Halsey</a> went one step further in an interview with <em>Billboard</em> about bipolar disorder. Adele similarly discussed her bout with postpartum depression with <em>Vanity Fair</em>. Bieber and Blanchard instead opened up via Instagram.</p> <p>Other celebrities who have “come out” in this manner include JK Rowling, Brooke Shields, Glenn Close, and Lena Dunham, though in the case of Close, it was her sister she was supporting. Actress, singer, and songwriter <a href="http://people.com/music/demi-lovato-bipolar-disorder-living-proof-living-well-with-mental-illness/" target="_blank" title="People">Demi Lovato</a> became so passionate about mental healthcare, that she is now the spokesperson for the, “Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health” campaign. “If you know someone or if you’re dealing with it yourself, just know that it is possible to live well,” she told <em>People</em>. “I’m living proof of that.” </p> <p>This isn’t occurring only amongst celebrity women. In Bruce Springsteen’s recent autobiography <em><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-pop-culture-depression-20161007-snap-story.html" target="_blank" title="The LA Times">Born to Run</a></em>,<em> he </em>talks about his lifelong battle with depression. African-American men, perhaps due to a macho streak, have culturally been one of the least likely to open up about certain struggles. But rapper Kid Cudi has gone against the grain. He recently discussed with fans on his Facebook page his decision to check into rehab for anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. In the last several years, hip-hop has become more emotional. </p> <p>Mental health issues are being treated differently by Hollywood nowadays too. It used to be that those with mental illness were depicted as raving lunatics, to be locked away in frightening, prison-like institutions. Today shows like FXX’s <em>You’re the Worst</em> and films such as <em>Silver Linings Playbook</em> show a more human side, with characters we relate to and feel for.</p> <p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTA1Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwMzE4MDM2OX0.jKnx91JL3vGmw0uAhQOxTiX2YX4DQcXdsbVhCyF6EEc/img.jpg?width=980" id="c376e" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8affa8e96ded7d4621c91ec9fd6d2bc1" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"></p> <p><em>Hip-hop artist Kid Cudi recently opened up about his bouts with depression and thoughts of suicide. </em></p> <p>So is this trend a case of celebrities leading the way, or is the stigma surrounding mental health issues beginning to recede? After all, in American society, acceptance of psychotherapy became far more widespread starting the 1960s, and Patty Duke arguably in the '80s was the first superstar to advocate for mental health. Harvard Square psychotherapist Melissa Kelly told the <em>Boston Globe</em> that this new celebrity trend is very helpful for those who are struggling, especially young people.</p> <p>Even so, she has noticed that among millennials, opening up to each other about seeing a therapist and working on themselves is more acceptable. It is not seen as a failing of character, but merely a part of “self-care.” A recent Harris Poll backs this up. It found that among those ages 18 to 25, receiving mental healthcare is more acceptable than for older adults.</p> <p>So is this a case of life reflecting art or the other way around? That might be hard to tease out. Even so, a stigma remains. But for someone with a serious disorder, such as depression, hearing that your favorite celebrity has suffered similar struggles and yet, still managed to make their dreams come true, can be incredibly heartening. It may even give them the motivation to seek help for themselves.</p> <p>To learn more about the stigma surrounding mental illness, click here: </p> <div class="video-full-card-placeholder" data-slug="how-mental-illness-became-a-crime" style="border: 1px solid #ccc;">
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