Sean Carroll

Do you think the majority of current players would stay in the NBA or are there probably lots of more skilled, smart basketball players out there who simply aren't large or genetically fortunate enough to compete? I think that it depends on whether you're talking about the very short term or the very long term.

Do you think the majority of current players would stay in the NBA or are there probably lots of more skilled, smart basketball players out there who simply aren't large or genetically fortunate enough to compete? I think that it depends on whether you're talking about the very short term or the very long term.

I think in the very long term, if everything is virtual and everyone's physical abilities are essentially equal, then I think that—I'm guessing, this is an empirical question you'd have to test, but my guess is that the distribution of basketball talent is kind of uncorrelated. with height and physical speed and things like that, and you get all sorts of people doing very well.

I think in the very long term, if everything is virtual and everyone's physical abilities are essentially equal, then I think that—I'm guessing, this is an empirical question you'd have to test, but my guess is that the distribution of basketball talent is kind of uncorrelated. with height and physical speed and things like that, and you get all sorts of people doing very well.

It's basically playing a video game, right? There's not any, as far as I know, correlation with height and strength with ability to play video games, okay? But if you did this and did it next year, then I think what you would find is that the current

It's basically playing a video game, right? There's not any, as far as I know, correlation with height and strength with ability to play video games, okay? But if you did this and did it next year, then I think what you would find is that the current

very good basketball players would still be the very good basketball players because they've been training for a very long time to do exactly this and in ways that other people haven't. If you're a casual basketball player, you haven't been put in the work compared to an actual NBA player. Some NBA players would not turn out to be very good. They're

very good basketball players would still be the very good basketball players because they've been training for a very long time to do exactly this and in ways that other people haven't. If you're a casual basketball player, you haven't been put in the work compared to an actual NBA player. Some NBA players would not turn out to be very good. They're

There are some who are just coasting by on their physical gifts and they would not do that well. But I think a lot of the actual basketball players to stay and flourish in the modern NBA, you have to be pretty talented and dedicated. You know, there's always going to be exceptions.

There are some who are just coasting by on their physical gifts and they would not do that well. But I think a lot of the actual basketball players to stay and flourish in the modern NBA, you have to be pretty talented and dedicated. You know, there's always going to be exceptions.

I remember just because of a similarity in names, there was a center in the NBA back in the 80s named Joe Barry Carroll. No relationship to me, but his important talent was he was tall. That was it. So his nickname, Joe Barry Carroll, was nicknamed Just Barely Cares. Because he was really not interested in putting in the work, getting better.

I remember just because of a similarity in names, there was a center in the NBA back in the 80s named Joe Barry Carroll. No relationship to me, but his important talent was he was tall. That was it. So his nickname, Joe Barry Carroll, was nicknamed Just Barely Cares. Because he was really not interested in putting in the work, getting better.

He was just standing out there and being tall, and he earned a lot of money doing that. I think it's harder to do that now, maybe, than it was in the 80s. Josh Flowers asks a priority question. Okay. You know, in principle, sure.

He was just standing out there and being tall, and he earned a lot of money doing that. I think it's harder to do that now, maybe, than it was in the 80s. Josh Flowers asks a priority question. Okay. You know, in principle, sure.

I mean, you have to be careful when you're talking about distances of objects in astronomy because there is no fixed reference frame, okay, with respect to which we're supposed to measure these distances.

I mean, you have to be careful when you're talking about distances of objects in astronomy because there is no fixed reference frame, okay, with respect to which we're supposed to measure these distances.

As Einstein taught us, if you're moving close to the speed of light, the distance that you think you would have measured if you had not been moving close to the speed of light might be very different. It's length contracted, as we say.

As Einstein taught us, if you're moving close to the speed of light, the distance that you think you would have measured if you had not been moving close to the speed of light might be very different. It's length contracted, as we say.

But the good news is that, in fact, the amount of velocity that typical astronomical objects have, galaxies and stars and planets and things like that, is small compared to the speed of light.

But the good news is that, in fact, the amount of velocity that typical astronomical objects have, galaxies and stars and planets and things like that, is small compared to the speed of light.