Why Are Some World Records So Hard to Break?

Why are some athletes able to crush world records when other records remain unbroken for years? The answer has to do with the kind of materials used in the competition and the type of athletic event one is competing in. Hank Green explains in this episode of SciShow.

This episode is inspired and brought to you by the upcoming Focus Features film, RACE, which releases nationwide on February 19th.
Race Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3ZF5b0zu00

Hosted by: Hank Green
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Sources:
http://www.runnersworld.com/newswire/ultimate-100-meter-time-927-seconds
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/nov/15/usain-bolt-sprinters-100m

http://www.gizmag.com/usain-bolt-fastest-man-physics-analysis/28457/

Swimming on Steroids: The Suits That Brought Down Records

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-speedo-created-swimsuit/
https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2008/ch_4.html

The Rocket Swimsuit: Speedo's LZR Racer

http://illumin.usc.edu/143/soaring-to-new-heights-the-evolution-of-pole-vaulting-and-pole-materials/
https://www.brunel.ac.uk/~spstnpl/Publications/Ch12Athletics(Linthorne).pdf
http://trackandfield.about.com/od/worldrecords/fl/Menrsquos-Pole-Vault-World-Records.htm

Images:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Owens#/media/File:Jesse_Owens3.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZR_Racer#/media/File:Phelps4x100.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZR_Racer#/media/File:Unveiling_of_LZR_Racer_in_NYC_2008-02-13.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pole_vault#/media/File:Pole_vaulting_LOC_det.4a15081.jpg