The Science of Game of Thrones

You know nothing.
SUBSCRIBE, it's FREE! [url="http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub"]http://bit.ly/iotbs_sub[/url]
↓ More info and sources below ↓

Valar more-curious!

WINTER:
Seasons of Westeros and the 3-body problem: [url="http://arxiv.org/pdf/1304.0445v1.pdf"]http://arxiv.org/pdf/1304.0445v1.pdf[/url]
Other possible explanations for the seasons: [url="http://io9.com/5906300/5-scientific-explanations-for-game-of-thrones-messed-up-seasons"]http://io9.com/5906300/5-scientific-explanations-for-game-of-thrones-messed-up-seasons[/url]
Why those other reasons are wrong: [url="http://bit.ly/1hYuRDJ%20http://boingboing.net/2012/05/14/great-moments-in-pedantry-win.html"]
http://bit.ly/1hYuRDJ
http://boingboing.net/2012/05/14/great-moments-in-pedantry-win.html[/url] [url="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103511004064"]
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103511004064[/url] [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milankovitch_cycles"]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milankovitch_cycles[/url]

NOTE ON MOONS AND STABILIZATION: I'm adding this comment after the video goes up: In retrospect I should have said that a moon doesn't *necessarily* have to be present to stabilize a planet. While our moon does cancel out some tugging from the other planets in the solar system, here's a recent paper shows that moonless planets can orbit with great stability even without the influence of a moon. Basically moons aren't required for stability: [url="http://barnesos.net/publications/papers/2012.01.Icarus.Barnes.Moonless.Earth.pdf%20%20Even"]http://barnesos.net/publications/papers/2012.01.Icarus.Barnes.Moonless.Earth.pdf

Even[/url] more reasons for the seasons: [url="http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/05/how-seasons-qworkq-in-a-song-of-ice-and-fire"]http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/05/how-seasons-qworkq-in-a-song-of-ice-and-fire[/url]

GEOLOGY:
Generation Anthropocene's AMAZING geologic history of Westeros and Essos: [url="http://www.stanford.edu/group/anthropocene/cgi-bin/wordpress/game-of-thrones-geology/"]http://www.stanford.edu/group/anthropocene/cgi-bin/wordpress/game-of-thrones-geology/[/url]

VALYRIAN STEEL:
Damascus steel: [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus_steel"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus_steel[/url]

DRAGON FIRE:
Kyle Hill's explanation for real-life dragon fire: [url="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/but-not-simpler/2014/01/02/smaug-breathes-fire-like-a-bloated-bombardier-beetle-with-flinted-teeth/"]http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/but-not-simpler/2014/01/02/smaug-breathes-fire-like-a-bloated-bombardier-beetle-with-flinted-teeth/[/url]

DRAGON FLIGHT:
Dragon-sized birds are biologically impossible: [url="http://wapo.st/1lBV2RE"]http://wapo.st/1lBV2RE[/url]

WILDFIRE:
Greek fire: [url="http://www.sciforums.com/what-is-greek-fire-t-68540.html"]http://www.sciforums.com/what-is-greek-fire-t-68540.html[/url]
Trimethyl borate flame by hkparker: [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OrisgbsRmg"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OrisgbsRmg[/url]

MILK OF POPPY:
Opates: [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium[/url]

THE WALL:
Compression melting of ice: [url="http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1qkdl0/can_ice_be_compressed_into_water/"]http://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1qkdl0/can_ice_be_compressed_into_water/[/url]

DIRE WOLVES:
Canis dirus: [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dire_wolf"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dire_wolf[/url]

REAL-LIFE CHARACTERS:
Abandon all productivity ye who click here: [url="http://history-behind-game-of-thrones.com"]http://history-behind-game-of-thrones.com[/url]
Stark/Lannister feud in real life tapestry: [url="http://history-behind-game-of-thrones.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/porte_saint_denis170-753x1024.jpg"]http://history-behind-game-of-thrones.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/porte_saint_denis170-753x1024.jpg[/url]

-----------------

Have an idea for an episode or an amazing science question you want answered? Leave a comment below!

Follow me on Twitter: @jtotheizzoe
Email me: itsokaytobesmart AT gmail DOT com
Facebook: [url="http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart%20Google+"]http://www.facebook.com/itsokaytobesmart
Google+[/url] [url="https://plus.google.com/+itsokaytobesmart"]https://plus.google.com/+itsokaytobesmart[/url]
For more awesome science, check out: [url="""]http://www.itsokaytobesmart.com

Joe[/url] Hanson - Host and writer
Joe Nicolosi - Director
Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen Inc.
Kate Eads - Associate Producer
Katie Graham - Director of Photography
Edited by Stephanie Noone and Kirby Conn from Arts & Labor
John Knudsen - Gaffer

Music:
"Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod

Produced by PBS Digital Studios: [url="http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios"]http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsdigitalstudios[/url]

-----------
Last week's video: Maternal Connections - [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVqjXwB-mcU"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVqjXwB-mcU[/url]

More videos:
The Far Future of the Universe - [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl9DwNOonOA"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jl9DwNOonOA[/url]


The Science of Dust - [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qZk2OMuaeg"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qZk2OMuaeg[/url]
There Was No First Human - [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdWLhXi24Mo"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdWLhXi24Mo[/url]
How The Elements Got Their Names - [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtg9p6A6xnY"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtg9p6A6xnY[/url]