Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains Why We Have a New Year's Ball Drop

Рет қаралды 190,956

Күн бұрын

Why do we drop a ball in Times Square on New Year’s Eve? Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice explore this New Year’s tradition and its connection to astrophysicists, the stars, and ocean navigation.
Where did the ball drop come from? To figure this out, we take a dive back in time to the creation of different timezones, latitude, and longitude. Why is it so hard to figure out longitude? Find out how we determined the prime meridian and how ocean navigators used the stars to determine their position on the open sea. Learn about how ships keep accurate time and how the ball drop came to be. Would we have this NYE tradition if it weren’t for early ocean travel?
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Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
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00:00 - The NYE ball drop
4:18 - Prime Meridian, Longitude, & Latitude
9:35 - Nautical timekeeping & Syncing Clocks
14:30 - The NYC Tradition

Пікірлер: 646

@StarTalk Жыл бұрын

How are you ringing in the new year?

@danielfietkau733 Жыл бұрын

Pretty accurate, I hope 😉

@dinozzotony1701 Жыл бұрын

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_Hill_(Cape_Town)

@kibervatniki7552 Жыл бұрын

Neil Tyson, do you think if the US military budget had been spent on science, we would have ended up not with a war with Russia, but with the development of the Solar System?

@nickeandersson3435 Жыл бұрын

In bed with the flu.. happy new year Startalk!

@marybell3013 Жыл бұрын

With a small group of family/friends, drink some beers, play some kind of fun word game, go home and go to bed early. Don’t need to stay up until midnight to “ring in the new year”… As Neil says it’s arbitrary, depending on your time zone. The Times Square stuff does not appeal to me

@MarkoVukovic0 Жыл бұрын

"you missed the mustache in the sky". This had me LOL for real. Love this channel!

@Leggir Жыл бұрын

Neil's explanations are always long-winded. That's why I love him.

@bunnykiller Жыл бұрын

it takes alot of words to define something well enough to give everyone a chance to understand.... even flat earthers, too bad they dont have the patience to listen to all of the explanations.

@michaelkhoo5846 Жыл бұрын

It's like he has a huge forest of knowledge, and he likes to take us on walks through it.

@AC-ow1gj Жыл бұрын

@@michaelkhoo5846 thats exactly what knowledge is, its a forest of information

@MooreOutdoorAdventure Жыл бұрын

I respect someone more if they take the time to explain something rather than (seemingly annoyed) explaining in a quick and short response. His passion for knowledge and sharing it is amazing. We are supposed to spread our knowledge and not hold it ransom for money.

@keithbarlow9701 Жыл бұрын

@@michaelkhoo5846 I like that. Well said.

@JustAndreaEdna Жыл бұрын

Best KZfaq channel ever.

@Lisared023 Жыл бұрын

"Most specific, arbitrary fact I have ever heard in my life!" 😂😂😂

@paulgreen9059 Жыл бұрын

You left out the British Longitude Act that offered a prize for whoever developed an reliable accurate chronometer. Love the video!

@trutester Жыл бұрын

We are so lucky for this!!! Thanks guys!!!

@mopeer1 Жыл бұрын

I live in the port city of Durban, South Africa, and there is a monument at the site of the original Time ball near the harbour. The time ball still worked until recently, but a storm broke it. I didn't realise it was used to sync time on the ships. I always thought it was just used a clock for everybody who worked near the docks.

@erictaylor5462 Жыл бұрын

That is a cool story. Thanks

@oldschoolman1444 Жыл бұрын

Fun arbitrary fact, aluminum foil is shiny on one side and dull on the other. Because in the manufacturing process two sheets at a time have to go through roll press to make it thin otherwise it will tear. So the side that touches the roller is shiny and the other dull. =)

@lawrencedoliveiro9104 Жыл бұрын

What keeps it shiny, though? Because pure aluminium is highly reactive with oxygen in the air -- even more so than iron. So a fresh, shiny aluminium surface exposed to the air will rapidly become covered with a thin layer of aluminium oxide. Unlike iron oxides, this is a tough layer that (normally) protects the underlying material against further reaction with oxygen.

@mrs6968 Жыл бұрын

And if you get dollar store tin foil it just tears right through even by looking at it let alone touching it because of how thin it is

@GeorgeBP81 Жыл бұрын

I sometimes refer to myself as a walking encyclopedia of useless things! Thanks Neil for adding a new "page" to that! And a happy new year!

@PauloMesquita2067 Жыл бұрын

This is brilliant! Happy New Year to you and all of the "watchmen" out there!

@mykstericeferg1258 Жыл бұрын

There was a man who watches until they replaced him with a mechanical version- is what I was thinking!😄 Thanks and may the New Year be one full of Promise.🙏🙂

@mollybell5779 Жыл бұрын

I have always loved Neil. I was very happy when I discovered this channel a few years ago. But for the first couple of shows, Chuck just didn't do anything for me. But then something happened around the third or fourth show, and I kept liking him better and better until at this point, he makes the show for me. I love StarTalk, and I love Neil. But I absolutely adore Chuck Nice. 😁❤️💞🤷‍♀️💞❤️😁

@williamsavage6301 Жыл бұрын

I am 100% with you on this. Sometimes I get what Neil is talking about, sometimes Chuck makes Neil slow down and explain.

@callmevoid9407 Жыл бұрын

The same happened to me.

@johnyepthomi892 Жыл бұрын

I’m sure there are many that have similar initial experience. It’s has nothing much to do with Chuck himself but our nature to wait until we reach a point of relatability and familiarity. When you watch a new show or when a new character is introduced we take a similar approach. It’s all good.

@sicfxmusic Жыл бұрын

It's the same with friends and family members, you like them only because you've known them for quite a long time and they look familiar 🤣🤣

@charitykennedy4928 Жыл бұрын

I think I'm slowly falling for Gerald too.

@yepperdeedooda Жыл бұрын

It's great to learn about this because I had no idea. At least I'm a little bit smarter this year before it ends.

@J2TMFA Жыл бұрын

I have absolutely enjoyed learning again this evening!☺️Thanks guys! Fun facts every human should know for sure!😉

@tdkrumpets9381 Жыл бұрын

New episode making my day better

@michaelccopelandsr7120 Жыл бұрын

Thank you, StarTalk, for all the wonderful breaks from this year's lunacy. For the record, in the years to come, You Are Needed!

@duanehastrich1460 Жыл бұрын

Happy New Years everyone!

@bartowsanta6313 Жыл бұрын

Happy new year Neil. Thanks for the knowledge you share.

@sapelesteve Жыл бұрын

Another excellent explainer video Neil & Chuck! Happy New Year to you and your families! 💥💥👍👍

@brandonmint00721 Жыл бұрын

"... You know I call you black-google" 😭

@BxCortez2050 Жыл бұрын

absolutly luv the "chemistry" between these two

@_TheDeanMachine Жыл бұрын

I like the addition of visuals to explain the concepts he is referring too

@lpintouk Жыл бұрын

In Spain we also use a ball to mark the New Year. I would have never guessed this tradition comes from sea travel. The clock used for New Year celebrations is in Madrid, nowhere near the sea.

@Nick-rb1vk Жыл бұрын

My two favorite people! Brings happiness to my day!

@erikavaleries Жыл бұрын

Happy New Year, Neil & STAR ⭐✨ Talkers 🥳🎊🎉🧡🎁⛄❣️ Thanks for all you contribute to others! It's so useful these days to learn & smile!!

@peachklapper8014 Жыл бұрын

I love this channel, keep teaching me things I did not know I needed to know. Happy New Year!

@StarTalk Жыл бұрын

Happy new year!

@acuninja77 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video. This is the best explanation I ever had of Long/Lat navigation.

@CoopDeGracie Жыл бұрын

This is so awesome! I've always wondered what the ball drop was all about. Thanks guys!

@ghalikabbaj1853 Жыл бұрын

16:22 literally me every time I learn something new from StarTalk lol

@thebluestpikmin Жыл бұрын

I got there at 9AM to bring in 2020 🎉

@jannichi6431 Жыл бұрын

This gives inspiration to get my ship clocks from storage and get them running again. Thanks Neil and StarTalk, hopefully your knowledge will be able to stay in Public Classrooms in 2023🤠🇺🇸

@brandalynclayton2345 Жыл бұрын

Happy New Year! Love the videos! I always learn something new. Thank you for that!

@Silverpintoo Жыл бұрын

Also, I love StarTalk. Thanks!!!

@h7opolo Жыл бұрын

ancient astronomical etymology fascinates

@ver64 Жыл бұрын

Wow…. Thanks guys and happy new year🎉🎉

@tomy.1846 Жыл бұрын

Awesome!!!!! Happy New Year everyone!!

@panpawedunker3870 Жыл бұрын

Chuck's face when he says "moonth" - priceless

@GlenHunt Жыл бұрын

Personally, I think the ball should do a 1 minute free fall. It’s the new year when it impacts at 500 mph.

@thanos879 Жыл бұрын

Id love to see that lol. It would probably need to be inside a vacuum to eliminate the wind resistance as a variable.

@Qstandsforred Жыл бұрын

@@thanos879 Wind resistance should be a constant more than a variable.

@whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Жыл бұрын

It'd be 32*60 ft/s ~ 1300 mph without wind resistance

@Qstandsforred Жыл бұрын

@@whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy That sounds absolutely awesome. It would be even cooler if we dropped it from space such that it hits the atmosphere 1 minute prior to impact. The atmosphere is about 6,000 miles thick, so it would need to be going about 10 miles per second. That should be fast enough to get a fireball. Edit: oops. I left out a zero. That's 100 miles per second. That's even better.

@DialogDontArgue Жыл бұрын

This idea has legs

@robinbeers6689 Жыл бұрын

Happy New Year to Neil and Chuck.

@Rayausderschweiz Жыл бұрын

I am glad, that Neil started editing the videos. Really missed that at some moments

@jtitus062006 Жыл бұрын

Loved it guys. I wondered this very question this year.

@gregtapevideo1464 Жыл бұрын

Love this one! Thanks!!

@Nefville Жыл бұрын

I like to think of the ball drop as a celebration of gravity. "Look everyone, it still works!" 🥳🎉

@nancysmith3400 Жыл бұрын

You 2 are sooo much fun to watch together and apart. Science class is always a delightful event. Thanks so much for the JOY and Wonder, BRILLIANT!!! HAPPY Holy New Year🤸‍♀️💥🥳💗🌲🌴🥰

@keanueraine Жыл бұрын

Ex sailor here and I had no idea that the ball drop and watchman were linked...mind blown....ty.

@chaosmarklar Жыл бұрын

If you traveled 60mph west you can make sunset last as long as you're moving towards it

@JohnyG29 Жыл бұрын

Not quite. You need to be travelling at 1,035mph if you are at the equator (the required speed gets less north or south of that). Concord used to be able to reverse the sunset whilst travelling from Europe to North America.

@16-BITFPV Жыл бұрын

I did that from east to west in the morning on an interstate one time, got lucky and it was the right direction, time and speed it felt like the sun was coming up behind us for hours. It was really interesting. Time change also made it feel more exaggerated.

@tnami09 Жыл бұрын

I started saying happy Holidays as an all-encompassing acknowledgement of the entire “holiday season” starting in late November and ending January 1st.

@human19831 Жыл бұрын

Happy new year for you guys, i enjoy your talks very much, i wish you long life and healthiness to make more.

@torryclark4983 Жыл бұрын

I look forward to every show. Love you guys.

@phil.d-roll6393 Жыл бұрын

Happy New Year!!

@spiritknocks4brooklynmosai196 Жыл бұрын

Gratitude brought back memories of going to watch the Ball drop with H.S. friends from Bklyn Tech! Originally from Brooklyn, NYC watching this from West Africa.

@sekaramochi Жыл бұрын

Happy New year Neil and Chuck ♥️♥️♥️

@leesimone2 Жыл бұрын

I love you guys so much!!!! I got to geek out today...YYYEEESSSSS!!!!🥰🥰🥰 I so needed this!!!😁😁😁 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!🎆🍾🥂🎆💋

@adamreynolds3863 7 ай бұрын

WOW this was so informative!

@AltraxX Жыл бұрын

This was amazing, thank you 💙

@tbxng3146 Жыл бұрын

Love this channel

@davidt3956 Жыл бұрын

I sad that when Neil said "When the ship is rocking" that Chuck didn't say "Don't come knocking."

@l.b.9567 Жыл бұрын

I'm sure he thought of it but then he remembered the hundreds of kids watching.

@davidt3956 Жыл бұрын

@@l.b.9567 They've said some suggestive things before, just not obvious things. Still, that's a good explanation. :)

@MrCybergladiator Жыл бұрын

That's fantastic, thank you very much for sharing this!

@SkyDomeVIZE Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the knowledge. I didn't know the details of this tradition.

@monica9450 Жыл бұрын

Happy New Year, Gerald! ⌚😜

@josesanhernandez5709 Жыл бұрын

Mr. Neil, how I wish everyone would be as smart as you. I wish I would have taken the time to study as much as you might have...but since I didn't I'm fascinated with the amount of knowledge and understanding you share with the world for as long as these videos will be available to the world wide public. Thank you again. Joe

@jryan7932 Жыл бұрын

This is why Captain Hook had a clock for the alligator to eat in first place.

@comparedtowhat2638 Жыл бұрын

These days my New Year’s Eves tend to be boring. I might not even be awake at Midnight. Once, decades ago, I was in Times Square and watched the ball drop. I’m glad I did that at least once. Thanks for the complete explanation.

@NJM1948 Жыл бұрын

Fascinating stuff.....and Chuck was in superb form!!! Thanks guys

@TheTerranInformed Жыл бұрын

That was wonderful! Thank you so much!!

@janiarosario8107 Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this fun fact video!! Love watching. you guys.

@Mecca4BA Жыл бұрын

I LOVE IT! A geeked out explanation of why they drop the ball in Times Square as an annual New Year’s tradition. Amazing

@bradew2 Жыл бұрын

I had no clue. That was a perfect bit of history and science, amazing.

@RebeccaSB Жыл бұрын

Always quirky & fun! Thanks for sharing!

@akhenaten4582 Жыл бұрын

Omg what a genius. Amazing. No one has ever told me and I’m glad we all have you guys 🎉🎉 Happy New Year & you are our watchmen helping us navigate through Space in time using knowledge as a light.

@scyz2807 Жыл бұрын

I love this! I knew about Mr. John Harrison and his amazingly accurate sea going chronometer, but had never heard of the "ball drop" time setting method. It makes complete sense, however. Very Cool. Happy New Year Neil and Chuck!

@maggnar Жыл бұрын

Awesome episode.

@dirtyjerde13 8 ай бұрын

amazing i will never celebrate new years without thinking about this again

@abdulmbailey8141 Жыл бұрын

Absolutely Fascinating!!! Everything comes back to the stars and science. Thank you so much for this explanation.

@lyndsayms Жыл бұрын

This was awesome!

@zackerymeltonturdle5648 Жыл бұрын

I have a tremendous amount of fun learning from you guys! My you g daughter loves watching as well. Everytime a new video comes out I get told before I know like, "daddy a new tartalk is here!" Thank you for your continued sharing of wisdom Dr Tyson and Mr nice.

@jannichi6431 Жыл бұрын

Isn't it amazing that kids instinctually are fascinated by Dinosaurs and Space/Stars? So great of you to facilitate the curiosity! 💫🌌

@thedalailmao Жыл бұрын

What a fascinating story. How they saw this ball at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich all the way from the Port of London at Tilbury, which was usually structurally busy on the vertical axis, I don't know.

@StalxD Жыл бұрын

merry new year :)

@TIKTOK-xr5wo Жыл бұрын

Happy New Year

@mattbrownruns Жыл бұрын

New Year's Time should definitely be a holiday! What a brilliant concept!

@rossdownie9543 Жыл бұрын

We have the 1 o'clock gun here in Edinburgh. It was used in the same way. The gun is fired every day at 1 from the castle (still done to this day but more for the tourists) and on Carlton Hill (just over a mile from the gun) there was a ball that dropped at the same time to allow boats in the Forth determine there time in the same way as Neil describes

@letmewatchmyshows Жыл бұрын

Mind blowing once again!

@franosbornblaschke3694 Жыл бұрын

SO COOL! Thanks fellas! : )

@fredorwiler8556 Жыл бұрын

You guys are fantastic teachers. And, entertaining with my kind of humor.

@fluid1614 Жыл бұрын

WOW. Now I know where the word "watch" comes from

@davidt3956 Жыл бұрын

There was a book I read earlier this year, I can't remember the title, that talked about the history of timekeeping. I read the part about the ball dropping, but I never related it to New Year's Eve because I'm not much of a holiday person. It was fun to see Neil describe that history and tie it in.

@trevorjensen7138 Жыл бұрын

The history is the only thing that explains it. It is better than Times Square on TV.

@annan4866 Жыл бұрын

It is great living in California because you can watch the ball drop in NY and put the kids to bed after celebrating the new year coming in and they aren't super cranky the next day from being up too late 😃

@carmenncruz237 Жыл бұрын

Happy new year

@lorenzonova612 Жыл бұрын

Man this was the coolest thing ive heard from neil i didnt know that about the ball drip and the watchman this was the best time well spent thanks keep it up

@DanceBeforeTheStorm_ Жыл бұрын

Beautiful story about the ingenuity of man. Thank you for taking the time to explain.

@firstwiley577 Жыл бұрын

I learned something today , and on the 1st day of the year ! Thank you Blackipedia!

@luciojpfilho Жыл бұрын

Nice mission to find a point in the Earth's translation and define it as a worldwide moment to celebrate, so that each time zone celebrates it at the same time in different sun positions, so you can choose between a dark celebration or a night celebration .