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Professional athletes have skills that go far beyond what us normal folk could ever dream of doing. But sometimes even pros seem to perform above what they should be capable of – they hit every pitch, catch every pass or sink putt after putt after putt. In other words, they get “hot.”
In basketball, the idea that making a number of shots in a row increases the chances of hitting the next attempt is called getting the “hot hand” – and wisdom states that you should always pass the ball to the hot player.
But is this just luck? Or is their success somehow propelling them on to even greater glory? To answer this, University of Pittsburgh’s Konstantinos Pelechrinis and Wayne Winston of Indiana University used a complex statistical model to evaluate the real-game experience of 153 players in the NBA. They found that the hot hand is very real – but only some players can turn the momentum of made shots into superhuman performances.
Also today:
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Daniel Merino
Assistant Science Editor & Co-Host of The Conversation Weekly Podcast
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Kevin Durant is one of the NBA players who shows the ability to go on hot streaks.
AP Photo/Seth Wenig
Konstantinos Pelechrinis, University of Pittsburgh; Wayne Winston, Indiana University
A study shows that a select group of NBA players really do go on hot streaks by making more shots in a row than statistics suggest they should.
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Environment + Energy
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Daniel E. Walters, Penn State; William M. Manson, Penn State
The SEC’s proposal would require companies to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and other climate risks, but it’s not a done deal yet.
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Politics + Society
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Garen Wintemute, University of California, Davis
Gun sales have risen in recent years. An expert explains who and what is driving this trend and how it’s affecting Americans.
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Anders C. Hardig, American University School of International Service
The Russian invasion has triggered an outpouring of support for Ukraine from European countries. Will Putin’s gamble backfire and ultimately push Ukraine firmly into the European fold?
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Alexis Karteron, Rutgers University - Newark
A constitutional law professor provides insight on what Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman nominated to the Supreme Court, could mean for how that court works.
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Health + Medicine
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Ushma Upadhyay, University of California, San Francisco
During the pandemic, health care providers began prescribing abortion pills safely based solely on a patient’s medical history. Continuing this practice could help remove barriers to abortion care.
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Science + Technology
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Nora McDonald, University of Cincinnati ; Helena M. Mentis, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Older Americans are often taught to be fearful of hackers and scammers in their midst while also being told to investigate potential threats. Better advice is to not engage.
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Ethics + Religion
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Victoria Khiterer, Millersville University
A Kyivan Jewish scholar explains the long history of Jews in Kyiv and how they thrived, despite hostilities. They were forced to flee from the city many times – but always came back.
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Education
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Jabari Evans, University of South Carolina
A scholar of race and media discusses the importance of analyzing media through a critical lens.
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