>>> PRODUCTION FUNDING FOR QED WITH DR. B PROVIDED BY -- >> S.T.E.M.

WAS PART OF OUR FOUNDING.

GORDON PATEL, OUR FOUNDER, BELIEVED ON BUILDING AN INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

THIS YEAR WE'LL HIT A GOAL OF A MILLION STUDENTS A YEAR THAT WILL IMPACT AROUND THE COUNTRY.

>> AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER FOUNDATION.

BOUNDLESS ENERGY FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE.

>> AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

>>> I'M DR. FREDERICK BURLY, SCIENTIST AND PRESIDENT AND COO OF CO-SIGN.

WELCOME TO DR. B.

>>> DR. B, WE KNOW THAT YOU PLAYED BASKETBALL, BUT DID YOU PLAY ANY OTHER SPORTS?

>> YEAH.

I WASN'T A BOOKISH KID.

I WASN'T AN INDOOR KID.

I LOVED SPORTS.

I DID BMX, AND THE SPORTS I LOVED WAS BASKETBALL, HOCKEY AND SKIING.

I LOVED SPORTS.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

>> I PLAYED BASKETBALL AND SOFTBALL, AND I LOVED THAT TEAM ENVIRONMENT AND THAT COMPETITION AND I'M EXCITED BECAUSE WE HAVE THREE STORIES THAT LOOK AT ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.

LATER ON, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BEING A SPORTS FAN AND HOW ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE INFLUENCES OUR EXPERIENCE AS FANS AND THEN WE HAVE A STORY ON THE GROUNDBREAKING TECHNOLOGY FOR MONITORING SWEAT TO HELP INDIVIDUAL ATHLETES PERFORM THEIR BEST ON THE FIELD, BUT FIRST, DR. B, DID YOU EVER ASPIRE TO BE A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE?

>> OH, MY GOSH.

IN ELEMENTARY, I PLAYED SO MANY SPORTS, BUT MY LOVE WAS HOCKEY.

I THOUGHT I WOULD PLAY FOR MY HOMETOWN TEAM OF THE CANADIENS AND AFTER A WHILE, I ENDED UP GOING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.

>> OUR FIRST STORY IS HOW ELITE ATHLETES ARE MADE, AND I GUESS I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT YOU WERE BORN WITH THIS TALENT AND IT WAS IN YOUR DNA, BUT YOU ACTUALLY FOUND OUT THAT THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN THAT.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

DNA AND GENETICS PLAY A BIG ROLE AND YOU SEE THAT ALL OF THE TIME THROUGHOUT SPORTS AND THEY SAY THEY'RE NATURALLY BUILD THAT WAY, MALE, FEMALE, WHAT HAVE YOU.

IT'S NOT JUST GENETICS AND FOR THAT DISCUSSION I HAD THE PLEASURE OF TALKING WITH DR. MARK WILLIAMS, PROFESSOR OF KINESIOLOGY AND AUTHOR OF "HOW ELITE ATHLETES ARE MADE".

>> YOU'VE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH OF HOW, LEET ATHLETES ARE MADE.

WHAT ARE THINGS THAT ATHLETES CANNOT CONTROL WHICH SEEM TO IMPACT THEIR ATHLETIC SUCCESS?

>> WELL, THERE'S QUITE A LOT OF SERENDIPITY AND LUCK INVOLVED IN BEING AN ELITE ATHLETE.

THE ROLE OF PARENTS IS VERY IMPORTANT.

WE DON'T CHOOSE OUR PARENTSES AND CLEARLY, THEIR INTEREST IN SPORT IN GETTING YOU ENGAGED IN THE SPORT, POTENTIALLY TAKING YOU THROUGH PRACTICE AND FACILITATING THE EARLY ENGAGEMENT IN THE SPORT IS QUITE PARAMOUNT.

THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF EVIDENCE THAT HIGHLIGHTS YOUR CHANCES OF BECOMING AN ELITE ATHLETE AND HOW MUCH GREATER AND THE YOUNGEST SIBLING.

HAVING YOUR OLDEST SIBLINGS ENCOURAGING THE SPORT AND PROVIDING AN ACTIVE ROLE MODEL AND SOMEONE THAT YOU CAN PLAY WITH, PRACTICE WITH AND LEARN FROM.

OTHER ASPECTS OF SERENDIPITY AROUND, BECOMING AN ELITE ATHLETE MIGHT FOCUS ON THE PLACE OF BIRTH, AND IF YOU'RE BORN SOMEWHERE IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, YOUR CHANCES ARE IN THE MIDWEST AND 75% OF OLYMPIC SKIERS ARE BORN IN THE SLOPES.

LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW ELITE ATHLETES ARE DIFFERENT FROM US MERE MORTALS.

SO YOU REPORT THAT ELITE ATHLETES ARE BETTER AND FASTER AT PROCESSING VISUAL STIMULI.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT?

>> YEAH.

THE COMMENTATOR ON THE FOOTBALL GAME AND THEY'RE THE GREAT EYE AND SUPERVISION AND IT IMPLIES THAT THE ATHLETE HAS SUPER HUMAN VISION AND THAT ACTUALLY ISN'T THE CASE, WHAT HAPPENS THROUGH PROLONGED ENGAGEMENT IN THE SPORT.

THESE ATHLETES DEVELOPED THE KNOWLEDGE OF MEMORY THAT ALLOW THEM TO SEE THE WORLD AROUND THEM VERY DIFFERENTLY TO US.

SO THEY BECOME BETTER AT ANTICIPATING.

SO, FOR INSTANCE, IN THE CASE OF A BASEBALL BATTER, HE OR SHE GETS BETTER AT PICKING UP INFORMATION FROM THE BODY SHAPE, THE POSTURAL ORIENTATION OF THE PICTURE AND THEY'RE ABLE TO ACTUALLY USE THIS INFORMATION TO PREDICT WHERE THE BALL WILL END UP IN SPACE EVEN BEFORE THE PITCHERS RELEASE THE BALL.

ON TOP OF THAT, THE BATTER IS ABLE TO PICK UP INFORMATION FROM THE PITCH ORIENTATION AND THE LOADING OF THE BASES AND THE SCORING OF THE GAME.

THE PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE OF THE PITCHER AND THE PITCHER TENDS TOY SO WHAT TYPE OF DELIVERY HE OR SHE LIKES TO THROW AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE GAME.

SO BECAUSE OF THIS ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE, IT'S RARELY THAT SPORT IS A REACTIVE EVENT.

IT'S ACTUALLY ONE WHERE THESE ANTICIPATE, AND THEY CAN SEE THE FUTURE BEFORE IT EMERGES AND THIS, OF COURSE, MAKES IT LOOK AS IF THEY HAVE ALL OF THE TIME IN THE WORLD AND IT GIVES THEM TIME TO MOVE INTO POSITION TO MAKE THE RIGHT POSITION OR TO EXECUTE THE SHOT IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE MANNER.

>> CAN YOU TALK ABOUT, KIND OF THE WEEKENDER ATHLETE?

BASKETBALL LEAGUE OR A SOFTBALL LEAGUE.

WHAT ADVICE FROM A TRAINING PERSPECTIVE OR HOW TO APPROACH GETTING BETTER AS A NON-PROFESSIONAL WEEKEND ATHLETE?

>> SURE.

>> IT IS IMPORTANT, FIRST AND FOREMOST.

ONE THING THAT DIFFERENTIATES BETWEEN EXPERTS IS THE FACT THAT THE LESS EXPERT PERFORMANCE SPEND A LOT OF TIME PRACTICING THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE ALREADY GOOD AT WHEREAS EXPERTS ACTUALLY SPEND MORE OF THEIR TIME PRACTICING THE THINGS, SO THEY ENGAGE IN THE LITERATURE MIGHT DELIBERATE PRACTICE WHICH ARE SPECIFIC, PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE TO PROVE SOME ASPECT OF PERFORMANCE.

SO IT'S LOOKING AT YOUR PRACTICE IN A DIFFERENT WAY AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF DOING WORK THAT IS MORE SIMILAR TO DELIVER A PRACTICE IS YOU WILL FAIL.

SO IT'S LEARNING TO COPE WITH THE FACT THAT FAILURE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND TO DEVELOP, AND IF YOU KEEP DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND NOT STRETCHING THE SYSTEM, THEN YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ADAPT AND DEVELOP NEW SKILLS.

I REALLY LOVE THAT YOU SAID THAT.

AS YOU'RE TALKING AND THINKING BACK INTO MY MYOPIC LIFE.

WHEN I PLAY SPORTS, I LOVE DOING THE STUFF THAT I WAS BIG AT, AND TAKING A SLAPPED SHOT OR A WRIST SHOT, I WOULD PICK THE TOOL OF CHOICE BECAUSE I WAS BETTER AT IT AND I WOULD HAVE MORE SUCCESS.

>> ACTUALLY IT FITS INTO COACHING TO SOME DEGREE BECAUSE WE DIFFERENTIATE IN THE LITERATURE BETWEEN PERFORMANCE AND LEARNING, WHEN IF YOU'RE A COACH TAKING A PRACTICE SESSION, WHAT YOU SEE IN THE PRACTICE SESSION IS THE PERFORMANCE AND NOT THEIR LEARNING AND GIVES THEM LOTS OF INSTRUCTION AND THE PRACTICE OF SINGLE SKILL AND PROVIDING THE FEEDBACK AND THAT PERFORMANCE IS GOOD IN THE SESSION AND IRONICALLY, THE RECENT EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT ALMOST THE REVERSE CONDITIONS ARE BETTER FOR PROMOTING LONG TERM RETENTION AND TRANSFER SO THAT MAYBE AS A COACH, WHAT IS THE LEAST AMOUNT OF INSTRUCTION THAT I NEED TO GIVE THE ATHLETE SO THAT HE OR SHE CAN BEGIN TO PRACTICE THE SKILL?

TO WHAT EXTENT MY PRACTICE CONDITIONS ARE DYNAMIC AND CHALLENGING AND THEY REFLECT THE DEMAND OF COMPETITION AND NOT JUST PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND WHAT IS THE LEAST AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK THAT WE NEED TO GIVE THE ATHLETE AND THERE'S A LOT OF EVIDENCE TO SUGGEST THAT WE MAY AS A SOCIETY BE GUILTY OF OVERCOACHING AND BEING TOO PRESCRIPTIVE AND NOT ALLOWING KIDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN LEARNING.

>> SO WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS NOW ON THE ROLE THAT GENETICS PLAYS IN MAKING ELITE ATHLETES?

>> IT'S AN INTERESTING POINT, BECAUSE DEFINITELY THERE'S BIOLOGY THERE AND THAT'S THE GENETIC COMPONENT.

IF YOU'RE A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE, YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A WHOLE ATHLETE THAT GETS THERE AND YOU WANT TO PROMOTE THEM INTO SPORTS, YOU KNOW ALL OF THE LEVERS TO PULL AND YOU KNOW ALL OF THE TRAINERS AND THE CONNECTIONS AND YOU KNOW WHERE THE SYSTEMS WORK.

IT'S WHAT YOU INHERIT FROM YOUR PARENTS AND YOU INHERIT THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM THAT GIVES YOU OPPORTUNITIES.

IT'S REALLY HARD TO STUDY IN A LAB, THEY'VE CHOSEN TO BE PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES AND WAS THAT PURELY GENETIC BECAUSE SERENA AND WIN GRETZKY AND TIGER WOODS HAS TO DIFFERENTIATE IT, AND IT'S THAT VERSUS THE ECOSYSTEM.

>> WE HAVE A FAMILY THAT INTRODUCES US INTO SPORTS AND THEN WE PLAY SPORTS AND THEN WE USE TECHNOLOGY TO HELP US ENHANCE OUR PERFORMANCE AND THERE'S A LOT OF DATA THAT WE MEASURE LIKE OUR STATS AND OUR REPORT RATE AND TECHNOLOGY CAN DO A LOT MORE THAN THAT, AND YOU FOUND MORE ON THAT.

>> FOR MORE, I TALKED TO DR. LINDSAY BAKER AT THE GATORADE SPORTS SCIENCE INSTITUTE.

THEY'RE THE FIRST TO MARKET WITH A WEARABLE SWEAT PATCH AND APP.

THIS IS SUCH AN EXCITING FIELD.

CAN YOU DEFINE HYDRATION FOR PERFORMANCE AND PEOPLE IN GENERAL WHO ARE EXERCISING?

>> THE REASON HYDRATION IS SO IMPORTANT, AND NOT JUST FOR ATHLETES, BUT FOR EVERYBODY, IS BECAUSE WATER MAKES UP ABOUT 50% OF BODY MASS IN THE AVERAGE ADULT AND IT PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN MAINTAINING FUNCTION OF PRETTY MUCH EVERY TISSUE AND EVERY SYSTEM IN THE BODY FROM THE BRAIN TO THE MUSCLES, TO THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM TO METABOLISM AND EVEN REGULATING BODY TEMPERATURE, AND MANY SCIENTIFIC STUDIES HAVE SHOWN DEHYDRATION CAN HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON PERFORMANCE, AND THIS INCLUDES ENDURANCE PERFORMANCE, TWO SPORTS AND SKILL PERFORMANCE AS WELL AS COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE ESPECIALLY WHEN EXERCISING IN A WARM ENVIRONMENT.

SO THIS IS WHY AS AN ATHLETE, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE TO DRINK ENOUGH FLUIDS TO AVOID SIGNIFICANT DEHYDRATION.

>> SO THAT'S GREAT.

>> THE GATORADE SPORTS SCIENCE INSTITUTE, AND I BELIEVE YOU DEVELOPED THE SWEAT PATCH TO HELP MONITOR HYDRATION AND ULTIMATELY ENHANCE THE PERFORMANCE OF ATHLETES.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW IT WORKS?

>> SURE.

>> IT IS A SINGLE-USE WEARABLE AND IT MEASURES AN ATHLETE'S UNIQUE SWEAT PROFILE TO INFORM THEIR HYDRATION STRATEGIES TO HELP THEM PERFORM AT THEIR BEST.

IT USES A MICROFLUIDIC TECHNOLOGY TO MEASURE THE AMOUNT OF SWEAT LOST DURING EXERCISE AND ALSO HELPS HOW SALTY YOUR SWEAT IS.

THE GX PATCH IS KIND OF LIKE A STICKER.

IT'S VERY THIN AND FLEXIBLE AND YOU WEAR IT ON YOUR INNER FOREARM AND THEN AFTER EXERCISE AND AFTER YOU FINISHED THE WORKOUT AND THE PATCH HAS FILLED UP WITH SWEAT, YOU CAN SCAN THE PATCH WITH A GX APP ON THE SMARTPHONE AND THEN THE APP TAKES THE DATA FROM THE FOREARM COLLECTED BY THE PATCH AND THEN TRANSLATES THAT TO WHOLE BODY SWEET RATE AND WHOLE BODY SODIUM CHLORIDE LOSSES.

AND TO DO THIS, THE ALGORITHM TAKES INTO ACCOUNT VARIOUS FACTORS ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL AND ABOUT THE TYPE OF WORKOUT THEY'RE DOING SUCH AS BODY WEIGHT AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND THE INTENSITY OF THE WORKOUT AND SOME OTHER FACTORS.

AND THEN IT DOES ALL OF THE WORK THAT A SCIENTIST WOULD NORMALLY DO.

IT KATH LEETS THE ATHLETE'S PROFILE AND IT INTERPRETS THE RESULT AND IN THE END PROVIDES PERSONALIZED FLUID RECOMMENDATIONS, OPTIMIZED BY THE ATHLETE'S HYDRATION.

>> SO HOW ARE THESE SWEAT PASHES INFLUENCING THE WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL SPORTS AS WELL AS THE EVERYDAY ATHLETES?

>> NOW INSTEAD OF RELYING ON THE SCIENTISTS TO TRAVEL TO THE ATHLETES THAT CAN PHYSICALLY BE THERE TO CONDUCT THE TESTING, NOW IT EMPOWERS THE ATHLETE OR THE TEAM STAFF AND THE DIETICIANS AND THE ATHLETIC TRAINERS TO CONDUCT THE TESTING THEMSELVES.

AND SO WITH THAT, IT ALSO ENABLES THE STAFF TO CONDUCT MULTIPLE TESTS BECAUSE IDEALLY YOU SHOULD HAVE A SWEAT PROFILE ON EACH ATHLETE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION VARIES FOR THAT SPORT.

WE KNOW SWEAT PROFILE CAN VARY WITHIN THE SAME INDIVIDUAL, TOO.

THE OTHER FACTOR IS THE GX PATCH AND THE APP, THEY'RE REALLY EDUCATIONAL TOOLS TO HELP THE ATHLETES UNDERSTAND THEIR BODY'S NUTRITION AND THEIR HYDRATION NEEDS AND THEN THE APP HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND HOW TO MEET THOSE NEEDS AND WE KNOW THAT OPTIMIZING NUTRITION AND HYDRATION HAS A POTENTIAL TO REALLY GIVE ATHLETES THAT LITTLE BIT OF EDGE OVER THE COMPETITION WHICH IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN THE WORLD OF ELITE SPORTS WITH SPECIAL ATHLETES WITH A FRACTION OF A SECOND OR A FRACTION OF AN INCH CAN MAKE ALL OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINNING AND LOSING A COMPETITION.

>> SO THIS IS FASCINATING AND THERE'S HYDRATION AND MEASURING SWEAT.

WEARING THIS TECHNOLOGY AND THE WEARABLE PATCH GOING IN THE FUTURE.

THIS GX SYSTEM REPRESENTS A SHIFT IN OUR FOCUS TO PROVIDING ATHLETES WITH DATA ABOUT THEMSELVES, RIGHT AND INTELLIGENCE AND NOT JUST WITH HYDRATION AND NUTRITION PRODUCTS.

SO WHAT'S IMPORTANT WITH THESE IS PROVIDING USEFUL INFO TO THE ATHLETES LIKE ONE OF THE NEXT WEARABLES WE'VE CONSIDERING IS THE BODY TEMPERATURE SENSOR BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT MONITORING BODY TEMPERATURE IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ENSURE ATHLETES' SAFETY WHEN TRAINING AND COMPETING IN THE HEAT.

AND ANOTHER TECHNOLOGY WE'RE INTERESTED IN IS MONITORING HYDRATION STATUS IN REAL TIME.

>> SO, FOR EXAMPLE, A WEARABLE OR A WATCH OR ANOTHER TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY CAN ASSESS THE WATER LEVELS IN YOUR BODY AT ANY TIME THROUGHOUT THE DAY, NOT JUST FOR SWEATING AND BEFORE YOU GO FOR A TRAINING RUN WHETHER YOU'RE ADEQUATELY HYDRATED, DEHYDRATED OR PERHAPS EVEN OVER HYDRATED.

THE IDEA IS TO MEASURE HYDRATION STATUS NONINVASIVELY AT ANY TIME OF THE DAY.

I THINK OVER TIME THE TECHNOLOGY GETS BETTER AND ALSO AS WE CONTINUE TO DO RESEARCH TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT NUTRITION AND HYDRATION CAN HELP THE ATHLETES IMPROVE.

YOU KNOW, INCREMENTALLY OVER TIME OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS, I DO THINK WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE FASTER PERFORMANCE TIMES AND RECORDS TO CONTINUE TO BE BROKEN.

>>> DR. B, WE LEARNED WHY HYDRATION IS SO IMPORTANT, BUT WHY ARE INDIVIDUAL PATCHES SO REMARKABLE?

INDIVIDUAL PATCHES ARE CRITICAL BECAUSE THEY'RE MEASURING THE INDIVIDUAL.

SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE A FINGERPRINT TO MEASURE HOW YOUR BODY IS OPTIMIZING AND PERFORMING AND THE FACT THAT WE CAN MEASURE THAT WITH I SWEAT PATCH IS REALLY COOL.

>> WE ALREADY KNOW THAT YOU'RE AN ATHLETE AND IT MAKES ME THINK YOU'RE A FAN.

CAN YOU TELL US WHO YOUR TEAM IS, YOU LOVE HOCKEY AND WITHOUT QUESTION, THAT WAS MY FAVORITE SPORTS TEAMS AND IT'S STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITE SPORTS TEAMS.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

>> GREW UP IN INDIANA AS A HOOSIER IN NOTRE DAME COUNTRY, AND I CONSIDER MYSELF A BUCKEYE TODAY, AND IT'S REALLY INTERESTING THAT ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE ON THE FIELD CAN INFLUENCE FANS AND THE COMMUNITY AND IT GOES BEYOND WEARING THE GAME DAY JERSEY, IS THAT CORRECT?

>> YOU ARE SO RIGHT.

THERE'S A WHOLE SCIENCE AROUND FANDOM AND IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT YOU AS THE INDIVIDUAL AND IT'S A PART OF IT.

IT'S ABOUT THE COMMUNITY OF FOLKS.

FOR MORE ON THAT WE HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SPEAKING WITH DR. DANIEL WAN.

>> HOW DO YOU DEFINE WHAT A FAN IS?

>> I THINK IF YOU ASKED 100 SCHOLARS TO DO RESEARCH ON FANDOM, HOW DO THEY DEFINE FAN, YOU'D PROBABLY GET 100 DIFFERENT THEIR OWN ANSWERS.

SO I THINK THAT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I WOULD SAY A SPORTS FAN IS SOMEONE WHO HAS SOME LEVEL OF INTEREST IN A SPORT AND A TEAM OR IN A PLAYER.

SOME FANS, WHAT DRAWS THEIR ATTENTION WOULD BE THE COLORS OF THE TEAM'S JERSEY OR MAYBE A LOGO AND OTHERS ARE A FAN BECAUSE OF THE STADIUM OR ARENA OR THE TEAM, OR THE TEAM'S HISTORY OR THE FACT THAT MOM AND DAD FOLLOW THE TEAM.

ANYTHING THAT LINKS YOUR INTEREST TO THAT TEAM OR SPORT OR PLAYER, TO ME THAT WORKS FOR THE DEFINITION OF FAN.

>> WHAT ABOUT SPORTS MAKES US EVEN CARE ABOUT THEM?

WHAT MAKES US FANS?

>> FANDOM HAS THE ABILITY TO HELP MEET BASIC, PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS.

THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED AS INDIVIDUALS TO OPERATE AND BE SUCCESSFUL IN SOCIETY AND FANDOM, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SPORT HELPS US DO THAT.

FIRST OF ALL, ONE VERY POWERFUL NEED WE HAVE IS THE NEED TO BELONG.

IF YOU ARE A FAN OF YOUR LOCAL SPORTS TEAM AND MAYBE A VERY POPULAR SPORT, YOU'RE GOING TO FEEL LIKE YOU FIT IN AND YOU'RE A PART OF THE IN CROWD.

AT THE SAME TIME, ANOTHER POWERFUL NEED THAT WE HAVE, WE DON'T WANT TO FIT IN LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.

WE WANT TO BE UNIQUE IN OUR OWN WAY.

THEY'LL FOLLOW THE UNUSUAL TEAM TO GIVE THEM THAT EDGE, AND BE DIFFERENT FROM THEIR FRIENDS.

>> SO AS YOU'RE WATCHING YOUR FAVORITE TEAM, WHAT IS TRANSPIRING IN OUR MINDS DURING A WIN OR LOSS?

IT DEPENDS IF YOU'RE WING OR YOU'RE >> IF THE FANS ARE WATCHING THEIR TEAM LOSE, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE MIND PSYCHOLOGICALLY IS THEY'RE BASICALLY TRYING TO FIGURE HOW THEY'LL COPE WITH THAT TEAM'S LOSING.

THEY'RE ALREADY BUILDING IN THEIR EXCUSES AS THE LOSSES ARE HAPPENING IN REAL TIME.

>> YOU ARE A FACTORY OF SADNESS!

>> I'M ALREADY THINKING ABOUT, OKAY, HOW AM I GOING TO CELEBRATE, RIGHT?

OR MAYBE I'M MORE OF A PESSIMISTIC PERSON THINKING YEAH, WE'VE BEEN AHEAD IN THE SECOND HALF BEFORE AND I'VE HAD A LOT OF INSTANCES IN MY LIFE WHERE I WAS DEVASTATING BY A LOSS AND AFTER THAT FINAL HORN GOES.

>> WE HAVE OUR FAVORITE TEAMS.

THIS COMPULSION TO SOMETIMES ROOT FOR THE UNDERDOG.

>> FOLLOWING AN UNDERDOG, IT'S SAFER.

SO IF I FOLLOW A TEAM THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO WIN AND THEY DON'T WIN.

THE ODDS CAME OUT THE WAY THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AND THEY LOST THIS GAME, I CAN EASILY SAY WE WERE SUPPOSED TO LOSE.

YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO WIN ANYWAY.

I'M NOT OUT IN TERMS OF MY SELF-ESTEEM AND EGO.

IF THEY PULL OFF AN UPSET AND THEY'RE SUCCESSFUL, HOW MUCH SWEETER IS THAT VICTORY?

>> YOU ARE A FACTORY OF HAPPINESS!

>> YEAH!

>> HOW DO WINS AND LOSSES IMPACT THE COMMUNITY AND BUSINESSES?

>> THE INDIVIDUAL FAN MIGHT BE SURPRISED AT WHAT THE POWER OF FANDOM CAN BE.

WE TALK ABOUT ABJECT BEHAVIOR AND COG MISSION AND EMOTIONS, ACTIONS AND THOUGHTS.

IT IMPACTS ALL OF THOSE.

SURE, I LIKE A TEAM AND WATCH THEM PLAY, BUT AFTER WARD, DOES YOUR EMOTION OR MOOD CHANGE BASED ON HOW IT WENT?

OF COURSE, IT IS.

THEY'VE DONE RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THAT IF A LOCAL SPORTS TEAM IS SUCCESSFUL THAT'S REALLY GOOD NEWS FOR THE LOCAL POLITICIANS, BECAUSE IF THE LOCAL SPORTS TEAM IS SUCCESSFUL, THE LOCAL FANS ARE HAPPY AND WE LOVE THE STATUS QUO WHEN WE'RE HAPPY AND IF THE STATUS QUO IS THE LOOK OF POLITICIAN AND IT HAS A COUPLE OF BUMPS IN TERMS OF THEIR APPROVAL RATING AND IT CAN HAVE IMPACTS ON THEIR DEVELOPMENT FOR COUNTRIES SO THEY LOOK AT THE SUCCESS OF WORLD CUP AND NATIONAL SOCCER AND SPORTS TEAMS.

IT ACTS AS AN IMPACT OF STOCK MARKETS AND THOSE TEAMS.

PLUS INDIVIDUALLY, LET'S NOT KID OURSELVES AND A TEAM SUVS ARE A TERRIBLE DEFEAT AND CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, PEOPLE AREN'T SPENDING MONEY LIKE THEY'RE HAPPY AND THEY WANT TO STAY IN BED SAD AND DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING.

IF YOUR TEAM WINS ALL IS RIGHT IN THE WORLD AND YOU'LL BE OUT SPENDING MONEY.

IT HAS SUCH POWERFUL IMPACTS AND I DON'T THINK PEOPLE USUALLY UNDERSTAND.

>> ULTIMATELY, WHY IS IT OKAY FOR US TO BE FANS?

>> EVERY YEAR OR SO I TEACH THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORTS FANDOM.

YOU WOULD THINK IT'S FILLED WITH SPORTS FANS.

SURE.

POST PEOPLE THAT TAKE THE CLASS ARE SPORTS FANS, BUT EVERY YEAR, 15% TO 20% ARE NON-FANS AND THEY'RE SITTING IN THE CLASSROOM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WHAT AM I MISSING?

WHY ARE MY FRIENDS SO WRAPPED UP IN THIS STUFF AND I, QUITE FRANKLY, DON'T GET IT.

THE REASON THEY SUGGEST THAT PEOPLE BECOME SPORTS FANS IS SIMILAR TO THE REASONS ARE THE SAME THINGS THAT PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE A PAST TIME.

IT'S A SOCIAL ACTIVITY.

YOU WILL FEEL CONNECTED TO YOUR FRIENDS.

YOU WILL FEEL CONNECTED TO YOUR PEERS.

CONNECTED TO YOUR UNIVERSITY OR YOUR COMMUNITY.

WE STUDIED THIS SO MANY TIMES, THE SPORTS FANS.

IF YOU CARE ABOUT A LOCAL SPORTS TEAM AND YOU HAVE HIGHER SELF-ESTEEM AND LOWER LEVELS OF LONELINESS AND YOU FEEL LIKE YOU FIT IN MORE WITH YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR CONNECTIONS ARE STRONGER AND GREATER AND THEY ARE CARING ABOUT THE LOCAL SPORTS TEAM.

>> SO WHAT ARE YOUR TAKE AWAYS FOR TODAY.

>> ATHLETICS IS NOT ALL ABOUT GENETICS.

>> ANYBODY CAN BE AN ATHLETE.

HOW HARD DID YOU WORK?

DID YOU PUT IN THE 10,000 HOURS+?

DID YOU WORK HARD AND STUDY YOUR CRAFT?

HOW THE SPORT IS BIGGER THAN THE EVENT AND IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY BUILD AND WE SEE IT ABOUT FANDOM STUFF AND THE IDEA OF ROOTING IN THE UNDERDOG, WHY DO WE LOVE THAT?

BECAUSE NOT EVERYONE IS AT THE TOP OF EVERY CLASS AND IT'S THE TOP OF 1% AND THE BEST OF EVERYTHING.

WHEN WE SEE AN UNDERDOG COME THROUGH AND THAT'S JUST A HEARTWARMING THING AND THOSE WOULD BE MY TAKEAWAYS AND THAT IS "QED WITH DR.

B."

FIND US ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

>> PRODUCTION FUNDING WITH QED WITH DR. B, PROVIDED BY --?

WE CARED ABOUT S.T.E.M.

BECAUSE IT WAS PART OUR FOUNDING.

GORDON PATEL FOUND IT WOULD BE A BETTER SOCIETY.

THIS YEAR WE'LL HIT A GOAL OF A MILLION STUDENTS A YEAR THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO IMPACT AROUND THE COUNTRY.

>> AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER FOUNDATION, BOUNDLESS ENERGY FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE.

>> AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.