Mar 10, 2025
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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