How hula hoops stay aloft

Science Sessions are brief conversations with cutting-edge researchers, National Academy members, and policymakers as they discuss topics relevant to today's scientific community. Learn the behind-the-scenes story of work published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), plus a broad range of scientific news about discoveries that affect the world around us.

In this episode, Olivia Pomerenk reveals the physics of hula hooping.

In this episode, we cover:
•[00:00 ] Introduction
•[00:49 ] Applied mathematician Olivia Pomerenk talks about the history of hula hooping.
•[01:52 ] Pomerenk explains the fascinating nature of hula hoop motion as well as her own personal experiences with the children's toy.
•[02:44 ] She describes the experimental setup with robotic hula hoopers, as well as the mathematical model that arose from experiments.
•[04:44 ] Pomerenk enumerates the forces needed for successful hula hooping. 
•[05:51 ] She explains how body shape affects hula hooping.
•[07:17 ] She explores potential applications of the findings.
•[08:01 ] Pomerenk discusses the caveats and limitations of the study.
•[08:44 ] Conclusion.

About Our Guests:

Olivia Pomerenk
PhD Candidate
Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University

View related content here: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2411588121

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