A Georgia Tech basketball player was brought in to see Dr. Young-Hui Chang in the Comparative Neuromechanics Lab for testing to measure his level of intuitive physics ‘IQ’. Intuitive physics can be described as an instinct, or intrinsic ability to predict physical actions. For example, a person with a high intuitive physics IQ may be able to accurately predict the time when a falling ball hits the ground, even though he may not be able to write the mathematical equations of motion that describe the balls physics.

The basketball player was fitted with a gaze tracking device that could track his eye movements within his field of view. He viewed a partial video recording showing a basketball being tossed into the air at some angle. The basketball quickly disappeared from view and he was asked to predict the position and timing of where and when the basketball would hit the ground. His predictions were found to be above average compared to a non-athlete control subject.