I Tried to Strike an MLB Fastball to Learn About Sports Neuroscience episode artwork

EPISODE · Jul 1, 2026 · 7 MIN

I Tried to Strike an MLB Fastball to Learn About Sports Neuroscience

from Be Smart. · host Joe Hanson

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate This episode is brought to you by Dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/ Tweet this ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSbase Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSbaseFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ We’ve got t-shirts! Get yours here: http://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart DISCLAIMER: I have very bad hitting form. Baseball was never my thing :) Special thanks to: The Round Rock Express Sharp End Baseball (Ben Himes, Aaron Smith, Jamie League) Genevieve Nauhaus, Ph.D and Michael D. Mauk, Ph.D. for research help References: Rob Gray “Intercepting Moving Objects: Fundamental Principles Learned from Baseball” Reviews of Human Factors and Ergonomics, June 2009 http://rev.sagepub.com/content/5/1/114.abstract Rob Gray “A Model of Motor Inhibition for a Complex Skill: Baseball Batting” J Exp Psychol Appl. June 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19586249 Sean Müller & Bruce Abernethy, “Expert Anticipatory Skill in Striking Sports, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport” 2012 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2012.10599848 Dr. Daniel Laby, Dr. David Kirschen & Tony Abbatine “A Visual Profile of Major League Hitters” http://xtremesight.com/documents/A%20Visual%20Profile%20of%20Major%20League%20Hitters.pdf Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen Inc. Kate Eads - Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Camera John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: “Ouroboros” by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate This episode is brought to you by Dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/ Tweet this ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSbase Share on FB ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSbaseFB ↓ More info and sources below ↓ We’ve got t-shirts! Get yours here: http://store.dftba.com/collections/its-okay-to-be-smart DISCLAIMER: I have very bad hitting form. Baseball was never my thing :) Special thanks to: The Round Rock Express Sharp End Baseball (Ben Himes, Aaron Smith, Jamie League) Genevieve Nauhaus, Ph.D and Michael D. Mauk, Ph.D. for research help References: Rob Gray “Intercepting Moving Objects: Fundamental Principles Learned from Baseball” Reviews of Human Factors and Ergonomics, June 2009 http://rev.sagepub.com/content/5/1/114.abstract Rob Gray “A Model of Motor Inhibition for a Complex Skill: Baseball Batting” J Exp Psychol Appl. June 2009 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19586249 Sean Müller & Bruce Abernethy, “Expert Anticipatory Skill in Striking Sports, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport” 2012 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2012.10599848 Dr. Daniel Laby, Dr. David Kirschen & Tony Abbatine “A Visual Profile of Major League Hitters” http://xtremesight.com/documents/A%20Visual%20Profile%20of%20Major%20League%20Hitters.pdf Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment or check us out at the links below! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/okaytobesmart http://twitter.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Tumblr: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Follow on Instagram: http://instagram.com/jtotheizzoe Follow on Snapchat: YoDrJoe ----------------- It’s Okay To Be Smart is written and hosted by Joe Hanson, Ph.D. Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart For more awesome science, check out: http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com Produced by PBS Digital Studios: http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios Joe Hanson - Creator/Host/Writer Joe Nicolosi - Director Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen Inc. Kate Eads - Producer Andrew Matthews - Editing/Motion Graphics/Animation Katie Graham - Camera John Knudsen - Gaffer Theme music: “Ouroboros” by Kevin MacLeod Other music via APM Stock images from Shutterstock, stock footage from Videoblocks (unless otherwise noted) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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I Tried to Strike an MLB Fastball to Learn About Sports Neuroscience

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This episode was published on July 1, 2026.

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Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/PBSDSDonate This episode is brought to you by Dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/ Tweet this ⇒ http://bit.ly/OKTBSbase Share on FB ⇒...

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