The Science of Game of Thrones

Channel:

Be Smart

Subscribers:

5,560,000

Published on May 19, 2014 10:49:19 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utu-LpJn3Is

Duration: 8:01

1,740,398 views

32,773

Valar more-curious!

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate

SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub
↓ More info and sources below ↓

WINTER:
Seasons of Westeros and the 3-body problem: http://arxiv.org/pdf/1304.0445v1.pdf
Other possible explanations for the seasons: http://io9.com/5906300/5-scientific-explanations-for-game-of-thrones-messed-up-seasons
Why those other reasons are wrong:
http://bit.ly/1hYuRDJ
http://boingboing.net/2012/05/14/great-moments-in-pedantry-win.html
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103511004064
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milankovitch_cycles

NOTE ON MOONS AND STABILIZATION: I'm adding this comment after the video goes up: In retrospect I should have said that a moon doesn't *necessarily* have to be present to stabilize a planet. While our moon does cancel out some tugging from the other planets in the solar system, here's a recent paper shows that moonless planets can orbit with great stability even without the influence of a moon. Basically moons aren't required for stability: http://barnesos.net/publications/papers/2012.01.Icarus.Barnes.Moonless.Earth.pdf

Even more reasons for the seasons: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/05/how-seasons-qworkq-in-a-song-of-ice-and-fire

GEOLOGY:
Generation Anthropocene's AMAZING geologic history of Westeros and Essos: http://www.stanford.edu/group/anthropocene/cgi-bin/wordpress/game-of-thrones-geology/

VALYRIAN STEEL:
Damascus steel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus_steel

DRAGON FIRE:
Kyle Hill's explanation for real-life dragon fire: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/but-not-simpler/2014/01/02/smaug-breathes-fire-like-a-bloated-bombardier-beetle-with-flinted-teeth/

DRAGON FLIGHT:
Dragon-sized birds are biologically impossible: http://wapo.st/1lBV2RE

WILDFIRE:
Greek fire: http://www.sciforums.com/what-is-greek-fire-t-68540.html
Trimethyl borate flame by hkparker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OrisgbsRmg

MILK OF POPPY:
Opates: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium

THE WALL:
Compression melting of ice: http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1qkdl0/can_ice_be_compressed_into_water/

DIRE WOLVES:
Canis dirus: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dire_wolf

REAL-LIFE CHARACTERS:
Abandon all productivity ye who click here: http://history-behind-game-of-thrones.com
Stark/Lannister feud in real life tapestry: http://history-behind-game-of-thrones.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/porte_saint_denis170-753x1024.jpg

Joe Hanson - Host and writer
Joe Nicolosi - Director
Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer
Katie Graham - Director of Photography
Edited by Stephanie Noone and Kirby Conn from Arts & Labor
John Knudsen - Gaffer

Music:
"Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod

Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios

-----------
Join us on Patreon!
https://patreon.com/itsokaytobesmart

Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/DrJoeHanson
http://www.twitter.com/okaytobesmart

Instagram
http://www.instagram.com/DrJoeHanson
http://www.instagram.com/okaytobesmart

Merch
https://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmartpbs/