November 15, 2023 ā¢ 24 mins
In this episode, we'll dive into the fascinating science behind video games. We'll explore how they'll tap into physics, applying Newtonās laws of motion and projectile motion. We'll see how chemistry plays a role, especially when characters mix elements to concoct new potions. The focus will also shift to biology, reflecting on ecosystems and character evolution that mirror our world. We'll peek at the programming and AI that bring other characters to life in these games. And, we won't overlook the psychology and math intricately woven into the gameplay. Plus, we'll take a glimpse at alien eyes and the creation of stars.
Sleep Tight!, Sheryl & Clark
ā¤ļøšš¬
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About Sleep Tight Science
Sleep Tight Science is an engaging (but not too engaging) bedtime show for the whole family that answers the questions kids have about science.Ā Each episode explores a fascinating topic in science and technology, from the mysteries of outer space to the wonders of the human body. Sleep Tight Science is the perfect bedtime companion for curious minds of all ages. Have an interesting science topic you would like featured? Send us an email atĀ hello@sleeptightscience.comĀ and we may feature it in an upcoming show.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to sleep Tight Science. Did you know that
in the game Pac Man, if you munch all the dots, ghosts,
(00:22):
and fruits without losing a life, you get the highest
possible score of three million, three hundred and thirty three thousand,
three hundred and sixty what. Hello, friends, and welcome back
(00:50):
to sleep Tight Science, a bedtime show that answers your
questions about science. In this episode, we will start talking
about the science behind video games. Imagine peeling back the
screen of your favorite game and discovering a universe buzzing
(01:13):
with science, from the gravity defying leaps of a character
to the mysterious artificial intelligence that seems to think independently.
We are going to learn how games use physics to
make things move and psychology to keep us coming back
(01:33):
for more. So let's start by giving some quick definitions.
I bet if I asked you what a video game was,
you might be able to come up with an answer
pretty quick. Sometimes when I talk to kids, I ask
them to imagine if the games they play in the
(01:56):
playground were inside their computer or TV, they could control
everything with just a push of a button or a
swing of their arms. That's pretty much what a video
game is at least the video games that we like
to play. To play the video game, you might use
(02:19):
a game controller that's the thing with all the buttons
and sticks, a keyboard, or even just your body if
you have a motion sensor, like when you're dancing or
jumping around to play. When you play a video game,
you're telling the characters on the screen what to do.
(02:42):
Want to jump over a hurdle, Just press the right button.
Want to race a car, turn that joystick. The game
takes your commands and shows you what happens next on
the screen. You can eat and have the character build
a house, a castle, or an ice cream cone. Video
(03:10):
games come in all sorts of flavors, just like ice cream.
Some are like big adventures where you explore new worlds,
Some are fast paced puzzles that make you think, and
some let you create and build things any way you want.
(03:33):
You can play by yourself with friends in the same room,
or when your parents are with you. You can play
with other kids all over the world through the Internet.
But what makes all this magic happen. Well, there's a
special set of instructions called software that tells the game
(03:56):
how to run. It's like the game's recipe, including everything
from the rules and story to the pictures and sounds.
Games can be pretty cool. Let's progress to the next
level and talk about the science behind video games. First,
(04:21):
there is the virtual playground where all the magic happens,
the realm of physics in video games. Think about when
you are playing your favorite game and you jump over
a hurdle or dodge an incoming obstacle. That's Newton's Laws
of motion and action right there in the gaming universe.
(04:47):
And when you shoot an arrow or toss a grenade,
you're dealing with projectile motion, calculating angles and force to
hit your target. It's like a live action Phi experiment,
except you can respawn if things go kaboom. Now let's
(05:07):
change our mode to chemistry. You're actually performing virtual chemical
reactions when you mix different elements in a game to
create a new magical potion or a piece of armor.
Games allow us to see how different substances interact without
(05:27):
the risk of a real life explosion unless that's part
of the game. Moving on to biology, we have ecosystems
within games that mimic our natural world. You've got predators, prey,
and plants interacting with one another. Some games even let
(05:51):
you evolve your character over time, adapting to the environment
like animals do through natural selection. Next, every game you
play is created with code, the building block of all
things digital. Understanding programming helps you know how games are
(06:14):
built from the ground up, like crafting a towering structure
one brick at a time. And then there's the brainy
side of games, the artificial intelligence or AI. This is
how characters you don't control seem to think on their own,
(06:35):
making decisions and reacting to your actions. It's like teaching
a computer to think like a human, which is kind
of cool. Right. Have you ever played a video game
and didn't want to stop? That's the psychology of gaming
(06:55):
at work. Games are designed to keep you playing, using
rewards and challenges to tap into your brain's love for
achievement and recognition. They use a system of challenges and
rewards to make sure you're always striving for that next
(07:16):
level or shiny new item. It's almost like they put
a treasure chest of motivation inside your brain, and the
game designers have the key. Now, we can't forget about math.
Every aspect of a game, from the towering castles to
(07:37):
the creepy dungeons is built on geometry. Understanding shapes and
how they fit together is crucial for creating these environments.
And those random loot drops, they're not so random. They're
all about probability and statistics. Soh when calculating the chances
(08:02):
of scoring a rare item, you're doing math faster than
your genius math teacher. Finally, there is the topic of
optics and light. Game graphics are a digital art form
showing us how light and color can create worlds as
(08:24):
vivid and detailed as our imagination. The way light bounces
off surfaces, creating shadows and giving depth is all part
of the science of optics. And just like artists use
paint to create images, game designers use pixels. So that
(08:48):
was a super fast introduction to the science of video games,
From the physics of a character's leap to the psychological
tricks that keep us glued to the screen. Science is
the secret ingredient that makes games fun and mesmerizing. Did
(09:23):
you know those dance moves and rhythm games are actually
helping your brain? Some reports show that following those beats
and grooves can improve memory and attention skills. So next
time you're nailing that dance routine in a game, Remember
you're also giving your brain a workout. Before we continue
(09:53):
learning about the science of video games, we have a
couple questions from our listeners. Hope to answer more questions
in an upcoming special episode. Zach, who is six years old,
asks are aliens real? And if they were real, would
they have big eyes? The universe is like a giant ocean,
(10:19):
and we live on just one teeny tiny boat. There's
a lot of water out there we haven't explored. Some
people think that in all that huge, wide space there
might be aliens living on other planets. We haven't seen them,
so it's like they are hiding in the deep parts
(10:42):
of the ocean where we haven't been. If aliens are
out there, they could look like anything. Maybe they would
have big eyes to see in the dark, like owls
do at night, or they could be so different that
we wouldn't even recognize them as aliens at all. They
(11:03):
could be made of light, or they could be really tiny,
or they could even look like talking plants or rocks.
But what is really cool is that we learn a
little bit more about the universe's big secrets every day,
and maybe one day we'll find out for sure if
(11:25):
aliens are real and what they look like. Wouldn't you
like to be the one who discovered life out there
in space? Thank you for your question, Zach. Next is
a question from Jackson, who is six years old and
is from Johannesburg, South Africa. One of Jackson's questions is
(11:50):
how our stars made it All? Starts in space with
these huge clouds made not of water like the clouds
we see in the sky, but of gas and dust.
This space cloud is called a nebula or nebulae for
more than one Some nebulae are regions where new stars
(12:15):
are beginning to form. For this reason, some nebulae are
called star nurseries. Now, gravity, that invisible force that keeps
our feet on the ground, pulls all the gas and
dust in the nebula closer together, and everything gets squeezed
(12:36):
into a smaller space. It gets really warm, like you
feel when you snuggle under your blankets. This is because
all the particles of gas are bumping into each other
super fast. When it gets hot enough, the center of
this big space squeeze starts to glow and voila a
(12:58):
star is born. This glowing ball is so hot and
bright that it can shine for millions and billions of years.
Scientists believe there might be approximately two hundred billion trillion
stars in the universe, and that is a lot. Thanks
(13:21):
for the question, Jackson. Video games are a hidden laboratory
of physics. From the realistic bounce of a ball to
(13:43):
the thrilling flight of a space rocket, the laws of
physics are at play everywhere in the video game universe. First,
let's talk about simulated physics. Games are like a said
sandbox where programmers can tweak the rules of gravity or
(14:04):
how objects slide, bounce, or crash into each other. Have
you ever wondered why your character can jump so high
or why that car didn't crumple after a massive crash.
That's because game developers can adjust the physics to make
the game more fun. They can dial down gravity to
(14:28):
let you leap like a superhero, or make walls indestructible
for that epic car chase. It's like being in a
world where you can choose which laws of physics to
follow and which to bend. If you had that power,
what would you change? Would you make it so you
(14:49):
could jump to the moon. Next, we have motion and forces.
Every time you sprint, swing, or skate In a game,
you're seeing Newton's laws of motion in action when your
character stops suddenly or takes off like a rocket. It's
(15:12):
all about inertia, the tendency of an object to resist
changes in motion. And when pushing objects around like boxes
or enemies, you're dealing with forces and how they interact
with mass. Think of it like being in a bowling alley.
(15:33):
The heavier the ball, the more force you need to
get it moving. Now, what about projectile motion? This is
the science behind every arrow shot or ball thrown in
a game. Have you ever played a game where you
can throw ice cream, cones or cookies? I haven't. When
(15:58):
you aim and rely, you're calculating trajectory, velocity, and angle,
often without realizing it. It's like your controller is a
secret science tool, teaching you the same principles that Isaac
Newton figured out sitting under the famous apple tree. In games,
(16:23):
you can gracefully see the path of your projectile curve
under the game's gravity. This can teach us about parabolas
and angles in a fun way, and it's certainly safer
to shoot an arrow in a video game. But it's
not just about getting the science right. The real magic
(16:45):
happens when game designers balance accuracy with fun. Too much
realism and games can become well, not so fun. No
one wants to play a space game where it takes
years to travel from one planet to another, too little,
and the game feels like you're in a dream without gravity.
(17:09):
The best games find that sweet spot where things feel
just right and you're learning physics without even trying. In
the end, physics in video games is all about creating
a world that feels consistent and believable, even when it's
(17:29):
packed with dragons or set in a galaxy far far away.
It's a world where you can experiment with the fundamentals
of movement, force, and flight, and sometimes break the rules,
all in the name of fun. Did you know that
(17:52):
Minecraft has sold more copies than any other game, with
sales that would make even best selling books jealous. Yes. Now,
let's take a look at the psychology of gaming. This
(18:12):
is important because sometimes games reward you in such a
way that you just don't want to stop too much.
Video gaming can mean that you're sitting still for a
long time, which isn't the best for your body, and
you might miss out on running around outside, reading books
(18:32):
or making cool stuff with your hands. Plus your eyes
could use a brake from the screen to see all
the awesome things in the world around you. First, let's
chat about the rewards I mentioned. Do you know that
awesome feeling when you find a hidden treasure or level
(18:53):
up in a game. That's because your brain is getting
a little high five in the form of dopamine. It's
like a happy chemical that makes you feel fantastic, and
games can give out lots of dopamine. They keep you
coming back for more with shiny coins, new levels, and
(19:15):
cool equipment. It's like if your math homework gave you
a cookie every time you finished a problem. Pretty sweet, right,
But what happens after you have finished twenty problems? Now?
What about challenges? Games are masters at giving us problems
(19:37):
that are just tough enough to make us stretch our brains,
but not so hard that we want to quit. It's
like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. But everything has to
be just right for your brain. Overcoming a tough level
or boss makes you feel like a hero, and that's
(19:58):
because you've overcome a real challenge and learned something new.
Your brain loves that stuff. But Wait, there's more. Have
you ever played a game so intense you lost track
of time. That's called flow. It's like you're in a
(20:20):
gaming bubble and everything else just fades away. This happens
when a game perfectly matches what you're good at. You're
so focused that you can't hear someone speaking to you
or notice much about the real world around you. Games
(20:41):
can help you in some ways, like getting better at
problem solving and making quick decisions. When you're in the
middle of a game, you're constantly figuring out puzzles, choosing
the best move, or deciding which resources to use. It's
like being a detective, but with dragons, creepers, and spaceships.
(21:05):
Your brain is working really hard. Lastly, there is empathy.
Empathy is the feeling you get when you put yourself
in someone else's shoes. Many games have stories that can
pull at your emotions and make you feel for the
characters when you care about what happens to them. It's
(21:30):
like your empathy muscles are doing pushups, getting stronger and
helping you understand others better. So the next time someone
says you're just playing video games, you can tell them
you're actually on a journey through the world of psychology.
You're learning, growing and becoming a master of challenges. In
(21:58):
this episode, we learned a little about the science of
video games. We looked at the physics in video games
and how they used Newton's law of motion and also
projectile motion. We noticed that they also use chemistry when
mixing different elements in a game to create new things
(22:19):
like a potion. We saw that biology is also used
in ecosystems that mirror our own world and the evolving
of our characters. We looked a bit of programming and
the AI that controls the other characters in your game,
but let's not forget about the psychology and math that
(22:42):
are also thrown in there. We also looked at aliens
and their eyes and how stars are made. This episode
was made with questions from Zach and Jackson. Thank you
to Daniel age six from Northern Virginia, Zara and her
(23:04):
brother Hassan, Fiona and Frankie from Nashville, Tennessee, Mila Yusef
who lives in Ohio, Wolf in Chicago, Henry age six
from Wisconsin, Ernesto age eight in Washington, DC, and Devin
and Ruby. We love getting your feedback on our show.
(23:30):
If you have any feedback, please send it our way.
And if you want to make sure you get all
the episodes, please ask your parents to subscribe. You can
find us on Apple Podcasts or wherever your parents listen
to podcasts. And please, if you love learning about science
with us, leave us a review. It may help others
(23:53):
find our show. If you'd like to send us your questions,
please send them to Hello at sleep tights science dot
com sleep tight
You're listening to sleep Tight Science. Did you know that
in the game Pac Man, if you munch all the dots, ghosts,
(00:22):
and fruits without losing a life, you get the highest
possible score of three million, three hundred and thirty three thousand,
three hundred and sixty what. Hello, friends, and welcome back
(00:50):
to sleep Tight Science, a bedtime show that answers your
questions about science. In this episode, we will start talking
about the science behind video games. Imagine peeling back the
screen of your favorite game and discovering a universe buzzing
(01:13):
with science, from the gravity defying leaps of a character
to the mysterious artificial intelligence that seems to think independently.
We are going to learn how games use physics to
make things move and psychology to keep us coming back
(01:33):
for more. So let's start by giving some quick definitions.
I bet if I asked you what a video game was,
you might be able to come up with an answer
pretty quick. Sometimes when I talk to kids, I ask
them to imagine if the games they play in the
(01:56):
playground were inside their computer or TV, they could control
everything with just a push of a button or a
swing of their arms. That's pretty much what a video
game is at least the video games that we like
to play. To play the video game, you might use
(02:19):
a game controller that's the thing with all the buttons
and sticks, a keyboard, or even just your body if
you have a motion sensor, like when you're dancing or
jumping around to play. When you play a video game,
you're telling the characters on the screen what to do.
(02:42):
Want to jump over a hurdle, Just press the right button.
Want to race a car, turn that joystick. The game
takes your commands and shows you what happens next on
the screen. You can eat and have the character build
a house, a castle, or an ice cream cone. Video
(03:10):
games come in all sorts of flavors, just like ice cream.
Some are like big adventures where you explore new worlds,
Some are fast paced puzzles that make you think, and
some let you create and build things any way you want.
(03:33):
You can play by yourself with friends in the same room,
or when your parents are with you. You can play
with other kids all over the world through the Internet.
But what makes all this magic happen. Well, there's a
special set of instructions called software that tells the game
(03:56):
how to run. It's like the game's recipe, including everything
from the rules and story to the pictures and sounds.
Games can be pretty cool. Let's progress to the next
level and talk about the science behind video games. First,
(04:21):
there is the virtual playground where all the magic happens,
the realm of physics in video games. Think about when
you are playing your favorite game and you jump over
a hurdle or dodge an incoming obstacle. That's Newton's Laws
of motion and action right there in the gaming universe.
(04:47):
And when you shoot an arrow or toss a grenade,
you're dealing with projectile motion, calculating angles and force to
hit your target. It's like a live action Phi experiment,
except you can respawn if things go kaboom. Now let's
(05:07):
change our mode to chemistry. You're actually performing virtual chemical
reactions when you mix different elements in a game to
create a new magical potion or a piece of armor.
Games allow us to see how different substances interact without
(05:27):
the risk of a real life explosion unless that's part
of the game. Moving on to biology, we have ecosystems
within games that mimic our natural world. You've got predators, prey,
and plants interacting with one another. Some games even let
(05:51):
you evolve your character over time, adapting to the environment
like animals do through natural selection. Next, every game you
play is created with code, the building block of all
things digital. Understanding programming helps you know how games are
(06:14):
built from the ground up, like crafting a towering structure
one brick at a time. And then there's the brainy
side of games, the artificial intelligence or AI. This is
how characters you don't control seem to think on their own,
(06:35):
making decisions and reacting to your actions. It's like teaching
a computer to think like a human, which is kind
of cool. Right. Have you ever played a video game
and didn't want to stop? That's the psychology of gaming
(06:55):
at work. Games are designed to keep you playing, using
rewards and challenges to tap into your brain's love for
achievement and recognition. They use a system of challenges and
rewards to make sure you're always striving for that next
(07:16):
level or shiny new item. It's almost like they put
a treasure chest of motivation inside your brain, and the
game designers have the key. Now, we can't forget about math.
Every aspect of a game, from the towering castles to
(07:37):
the creepy dungeons is built on geometry. Understanding shapes and
how they fit together is crucial for creating these environments.
And those random loot drops, they're not so random. They're
all about probability and statistics. Soh when calculating the chances
(08:02):
of scoring a rare item, you're doing math faster than
your genius math teacher. Finally, there is the topic of
optics and light. Game graphics are a digital art form
showing us how light and color can create worlds as
(08:24):
vivid and detailed as our imagination. The way light bounces
off surfaces, creating shadows and giving depth is all part
of the science of optics. And just like artists use
paint to create images, game designers use pixels. So that
(08:48):
was a super fast introduction to the science of video games,
From the physics of a character's leap to the psychological
tricks that keep us glued to the screen. Science is
the secret ingredient that makes games fun and mesmerizing. Did
(09:23):
you know those dance moves and rhythm games are actually
helping your brain? Some reports show that following those beats
and grooves can improve memory and attention skills. So next
time you're nailing that dance routine in a game, Remember
you're also giving your brain a workout. Before we continue
(09:53):
learning about the science of video games, we have a
couple questions from our listeners. Hope to answer more questions
in an upcoming special episode. Zach, who is six years old,
asks are aliens real? And if they were real, would
they have big eyes? The universe is like a giant ocean,
(10:19):
and we live on just one teeny tiny boat. There's
a lot of water out there we haven't explored. Some
people think that in all that huge, wide space there
might be aliens living on other planets. We haven't seen them,
so it's like they are hiding in the deep parts
(10:42):
of the ocean where we haven't been. If aliens are
out there, they could look like anything. Maybe they would
have big eyes to see in the dark, like owls
do at night, or they could be so different that
we wouldn't even recognize them as aliens at all. They
(11:03):
could be made of light, or they could be really tiny,
or they could even look like talking plants or rocks.
But what is really cool is that we learn a
little bit more about the universe's big secrets every day,
and maybe one day we'll find out for sure if
(11:25):
aliens are real and what they look like. Wouldn't you
like to be the one who discovered life out there
in space? Thank you for your question, Zach. Next is
a question from Jackson, who is six years old and
is from Johannesburg, South Africa. One of Jackson's questions is
(11:50):
how our stars made it All? Starts in space with
these huge clouds made not of water like the clouds
we see in the sky, but of gas and dust.
This space cloud is called a nebula or nebulae for
more than one Some nebulae are regions where new stars
(12:15):
are beginning to form. For this reason, some nebulae are
called star nurseries. Now, gravity, that invisible force that keeps
our feet on the ground, pulls all the gas and
dust in the nebula closer together, and everything gets squeezed
(12:36):
into a smaller space. It gets really warm, like you
feel when you snuggle under your blankets. This is because
all the particles of gas are bumping into each other
super fast. When it gets hot enough, the center of
this big space squeeze starts to glow and voila a
(12:58):
star is born. This glowing ball is so hot and
bright that it can shine for millions and billions of years.
Scientists believe there might be approximately two hundred billion trillion
stars in the universe, and that is a lot. Thanks
(13:21):
for the question, Jackson. Video games are a hidden laboratory
of physics. From the realistic bounce of a ball to
(13:43):
the thrilling flight of a space rocket, the laws of
physics are at play everywhere in the video game universe. First,
let's talk about simulated physics. Games are like a said
sandbox where programmers can tweak the rules of gravity or
(14:04):
how objects slide, bounce, or crash into each other. Have
you ever wondered why your character can jump so high
or why that car didn't crumple after a massive crash.
That's because game developers can adjust the physics to make
the game more fun. They can dial down gravity to
(14:28):
let you leap like a superhero, or make walls indestructible
for that epic car chase. It's like being in a
world where you can choose which laws of physics to
follow and which to bend. If you had that power,
what would you change? Would you make it so you
(14:49):
could jump to the moon. Next, we have motion and forces.
Every time you sprint, swing, or skate In a game,
you're seeing Newton's laws of motion in action when your
character stops suddenly or takes off like a rocket. It's
(15:12):
all about inertia, the tendency of an object to resist
changes in motion. And when pushing objects around like boxes
or enemies, you're dealing with forces and how they interact
with mass. Think of it like being in a bowling alley.
(15:33):
The heavier the ball, the more force you need to
get it moving. Now, what about projectile motion? This is
the science behind every arrow shot or ball thrown in
a game. Have you ever played a game where you
can throw ice cream, cones or cookies? I haven't. When
(15:58):
you aim and rely, you're calculating trajectory, velocity, and angle,
often without realizing it. It's like your controller is a
secret science tool, teaching you the same principles that Isaac
Newton figured out sitting under the famous apple tree. In games,
(16:23):
you can gracefully see the path of your projectile curve
under the game's gravity. This can teach us about parabolas
and angles in a fun way, and it's certainly safer
to shoot an arrow in a video game. But it's
not just about getting the science right. The real magic
(16:45):
happens when game designers balance accuracy with fun. Too much
realism and games can become well, not so fun. No
one wants to play a space game where it takes
years to travel from one planet to another, too little,
and the game feels like you're in a dream without gravity.
(17:09):
The best games find that sweet spot where things feel
just right and you're learning physics without even trying. In
the end, physics in video games is all about creating
a world that feels consistent and believable, even when it's
(17:29):
packed with dragons or set in a galaxy far far away.
It's a world where you can experiment with the fundamentals
of movement, force, and flight, and sometimes break the rules,
all in the name of fun. Did you know that
(17:52):
Minecraft has sold more copies than any other game, with
sales that would make even best selling books jealous. Yes. Now,
let's take a look at the psychology of gaming. This
(18:12):
is important because sometimes games reward you in such a
way that you just don't want to stop too much.
Video gaming can mean that you're sitting still for a
long time, which isn't the best for your body, and
you might miss out on running around outside, reading books
(18:32):
or making cool stuff with your hands. Plus your eyes
could use a brake from the screen to see all
the awesome things in the world around you. First, let's
chat about the rewards I mentioned. Do you know that
awesome feeling when you find a hidden treasure or level
(18:53):
up in a game. That's because your brain is getting
a little high five in the form of dopamine. It's
like a happy chemical that makes you feel fantastic, and
games can give out lots of dopamine. They keep you
coming back for more with shiny coins, new levels, and
(19:15):
cool equipment. It's like if your math homework gave you
a cookie every time you finished a problem. Pretty sweet, right,
But what happens after you have finished twenty problems? Now?
What about challenges? Games are masters at giving us problems
(19:37):
that are just tough enough to make us stretch our brains,
but not so hard that we want to quit. It's
like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. But everything has to
be just right for your brain. Overcoming a tough level
or boss makes you feel like a hero, and that's
(19:58):
because you've overcome a real challenge and learned something new.
Your brain loves that stuff. But Wait, there's more. Have
you ever played a game so intense you lost track
of time. That's called flow. It's like you're in a
(20:20):
gaming bubble and everything else just fades away. This happens
when a game perfectly matches what you're good at. You're
so focused that you can't hear someone speaking to you
or notice much about the real world around you. Games
(20:41):
can help you in some ways, like getting better at
problem solving and making quick decisions. When you're in the
middle of a game, you're constantly figuring out puzzles, choosing
the best move, or deciding which resources to use. It's
like being a detective, but with dragons, creepers, and spaceships.
(21:05):
Your brain is working really hard. Lastly, there is empathy.
Empathy is the feeling you get when you put yourself
in someone else's shoes. Many games have stories that can
pull at your emotions and make you feel for the
characters when you care about what happens to them. It's
(21:30):
like your empathy muscles are doing pushups, getting stronger and
helping you understand others better. So the next time someone
says you're just playing video games, you can tell them
you're actually on a journey through the world of psychology.
You're learning, growing and becoming a master of challenges. In
(21:58):
this episode, we learned a little about the science of
video games. We looked at the physics in video games
and how they used Newton's law of motion and also
projectile motion. We noticed that they also use chemistry when
mixing different elements in a game to create new things
(22:19):
like a potion. We saw that biology is also used
in ecosystems that mirror our own world and the evolving
of our characters. We looked a bit of programming and
the AI that controls the other characters in your game,
but let's not forget about the psychology and math that
(22:42):
are also thrown in there. We also looked at aliens
and their eyes and how stars are made. This episode
was made with questions from Zach and Jackson. Thank you
to Daniel age six from Northern Virginia, Zara and her
(23:04):
brother Hassan, Fiona and Frankie from Nashville, Tennessee, Mila Yusef
who lives in Ohio, Wolf in Chicago, Henry age six
from Wisconsin, Ernesto age eight in Washington, DC, and Devin
and Ruby. We love getting your feedback on our show.
(23:30):
If you have any feedback, please send it our way.
And if you want to make sure you get all
the episodes, please ask your parents to subscribe. You can
find us on Apple Podcasts or wherever your parents listen
to podcasts. And please, if you love learning about science
with us, leave us a review. It may help others
(23:53):
find our show. If you'd like to send us your questions,
please send them to Hello at sleep tights science dot
com sleep tight
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