Football players are faster than ever before. But in a game where every tiny decision counts, elite clubs are turning to neuroscience to understand how players can think, decide and perform even faste
Thanks Georgie and Neil for the lesson of this sport that many people go crazy for. I'm not interested, though today it's the big day for the World Cup. I can admire the footballer's physical resilience in some situations. Thanks again to both of you for the lesson!
I’ve been playing the piano for more than 20 years. When I learn a piece, I practise it over and over until I can play it automatically, without consciously thinking about each finger movement. I think this relates to the topic discussed in this programme.
I have always wondered something going on how this plays can perform well under high pressure scenarios, yes definitely nowadays football much more fast then ever before.
Thank you for the videos! I’ve been listening to your podcasts for a long time. And I got a band 9 in IELTS listening yesterday. The videos are genuinely helpful for learners.
What I love most about six-minute English podcast is that we are provided with not only English vocabulary but also educational content in a wide variety of areas, such as psychology. I'm into football, and listening to the results of the research done in this area like the ones presented on this podcast is really interesting to me. Apart from the words and expressions I learned from this podcast, I learned what is the best way to keep ourselves under control in high-pressure situations, like taking an exam, attending a job interview or performing on stage. To put it into simple words, we need to overwhelm ourselves in a safe environment like training to simulate the real situation. This way, first, we can get familiar with what we are going to experience, and second, we can also develop skills to the point where we can perform without conscious effort.
Great video! I've always assumed that someone playing at a professional level would be thinking harder, so the Neymar finding is the exact opposite of what I expected.
The more I think about it, the more I've seen this same thing in language learning. My students assume fluency means thinking faster, so they try harder and get worse. But fluency actually means thinking less about the mechanics of language (tense, verb agreement, word order). You only have so much attention at any one moment, and everything that becomes automatic gives some of it back, which frees you up to think about what you actually want to say.
And that’s why Tom Cooke's "overwhelm them in a safe environment" makes sense to me. Push out of your comfort zone in training, and performing at your peak in the game gets easier. The speaking version works the same way: put the pressure in the practice, and the real conversation feels easy by comparison.
Hi all! We hope you enjoyed this episode. As always, you can practise what you've learnt with the free worksheet and transcript here: bbc.in/4w7eaC8
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priya_reads16 Jul 2026
Electric bikes are a total game changer. It’s like adding a turbo boost to your commute—suddenly those steep hills aren't the final boss anymore. I've been tempted to upgrade my ride just to shave a few minutes off my time to the shop. Anyone else made the jump to e-bikes yet?
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The more I think about it, the more I've seen this same thing in language learning. My students assume fluency means thinking faster, so they try harder and get worse. But fluency actually means thinking less about the mechanics of language (tense, verb agreement, word order). You only have so much attention at any one moment, and everything that becomes automatic gives some of it back, which frees you up to think about what you actually want to say.
And that’s why Tom Cooke's "overwhelm them in a safe environment" makes sense to me. Push out of your comfort zone in training, and performing at your peak in the game gets easier. The speaking version works the same way: put the pressure in the practice, and the real conversation feels easy by comparison.