December 8, 2014

Google Logo Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm

Discussing the origins of extraordinary athletic performance with David Epstein

Bestselling author David Epstein discusses research on the complex interplay of nature and nurture in sports, how mentality propels success, how we assess potential, sex differences in sport, and why getting older doesn't mean we can't achieve greatness.

By Scott Barry Kaufman

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

Bestselling author David Epstein discusses research on the complex interplay of nature and nurture in sports, how mentality propels success, how we assess potential, sex differences in sport, and why getting older doesn’t mean we can’t achieve greatness.

In this episode you will hear about:

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

  • Baselines abilities vs. trainability

  • Common mistakes we make when judging potential

  • Genetic and other biological contributions to performance

  • The importance of self-reflection and personal accountability for development

  • How a vision of your future self can encourage goal realization

  • Sex differences at the highest levels of sport

  • Explaining cultural differences in performance

Click to download the episode directly (right click, then click save as)

The Psychology Podcast website.

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher.

Resources:

David’s website

David’s book: The Sports Gene

The importance of falling in love with something- E. Paul Torrance

Groningen talent studies – Characteristics of talented soccer players

“David Epstein writes about sports science and medicine, Olympic sports, and is an investigative reporter. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Discover, Scientific American, Slate, The Washington Post, British GQ, National Geographic and The Guardian, among other publications. David has given lectures about the science of high performance on five continents, including a 2014 TED Talk. He is also very good at catching marshmallows in his mouth.” –blurb taken from http://thesportsgene.com

Scott Barry Kaufman is a humanistic psychologist exploring the depths of human potential. He has taught courses on intelligence, creativity and well-being at Columbia University, N.Y.U., the University of Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. He hosts the Psychology Podcast and is author and/or editor of nine books, including Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization, Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (with Carolyn Gregoire), and Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined. Find out more at http://ScottBarryKaufman.com. In 2015 he was named one of "50 groundbreaking scientists who are changing the way we see the world" by Business Insider. He wrote the extremely popular Beautiful Minds blog for Scientific American for close to a decade. Follow him on X.

More by Scott Barry Kaufman

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe