4 ms·

For reference, Valtteri Bottas supposedly recorded a 40ms!!! reaction time at the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix. https://www.formula1.com/en/video/valtteri-bottas-f

For reference, Valtteri Bottas supposedly recorded a 40ms!!! reaction time at the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix. https://www.formula1.com/en/video/valtteri-bottas-flying-finn-agrees-suzuka-reaction-time-was-superhuman.1687507107613351205 https://www.formula1.com/en/video/valtteri-bottas-flying-fin...

voidUpdate 2y ago
Is there a random time between the red lights and the green lights, or is it always the same? Because that feels more like learning the timings than reacting to something
- jsnell 2y ago
  Yes, the timing is random.
- eknkc 2y ago
  No green lights, when the reds go out it is race start but there is a random delay after all reds lighting up and then going off.
amai 2y ago
Most probably that was a false start: "World Athletics rules that if an athlete moves within 100 milliseconds (0.1 seconds) of the pistol being fired to start the race, then that constitutes a false start." https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5678148/2024/08/03/olympics-false-start-rules-track-explained/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5678148/2024/08/03/olympics...
- arp242 2y ago
  That value has also been criticised as too high.
  - legacynl 2y ago
    What is the argument for it being too high? The argument for it being what it is is the fact that our auditorial processing (when using a starter pistol) or visual processing (looking at start-lights) takes time, as well as transferring that message to the relevant muscles. 100 milliseconds is a pretty good average actually
    - arp242 2y ago
      Basically, some people can consistently respond faster. The 100ms figure just isn't accurate. I don't have extensive resources/references at hand, but I've read about this a few times over the years.
      - legacynl 2y ago
        > I don't have references ... but I've read about this a few times over the years. Yeah well, I did a psych bsc and I'm telling you that it's impossible. It's certainly possible for people to do and notice things way faster than that, like a musician noticing a drummer being a few ms off beat, or speedrunners hitting frame perfect inputs, but in those cases the expectation and internal timekeeping is doing most of the heavy lifting.
        Aerroon 2y ago
        It's rhythm vs reaction time. We can keep a much smaller time interval rhythm than we can react at.
    - pyuser583 2y ago
      Reaction time can vary dramatically. Someone new to the “gunshot, run” dynamic could take longer, a soldier trained via repetition to react to a gunshot could be shorter, and a veteran with PTSD could be shorter still. 100ms is both too long and too short (or so I’ve heard, I’m not an expert).
dotancohen 2y ago
I once had a .517 reaction time in a drag race. You know how I did that? By fouling too late. It was completely unrepeatable. I'm willing to bet Bottas fouled that, too late (or late enough).

voidUpdate 2y ago

Is there a random time between the red lights and the green lights, or is it always the same? Because that feels more like learning the timings than reacting to something

jsnell 2y ago
Yes, the timing is random.
eknkc 2y ago
No green lights, when the reds go out it is race start but there is a random delay after all reds lighting up and then going off.

amai 2y ago

Most probably that was a false start: "World Athletics rules that if an athlete moves within 100 milliseconds (0.1 seconds) of the pistol being fired to start the race, then that constitutes a false start." https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5678148/2024/08/03/olympics-false-start-rules-track-explained/ https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5678148/2024/08/03/olympics...

arp242 2y ago
That value has also been criticised as too high.
- legacynl 2y ago
  What is the argument for it being too high? The argument for it being what it is is the fact that our auditorial processing (when using a starter pistol) or visual processing (looking at start-lights) takes time, as well as transferring that message to the relevant muscles. 100 milliseconds is a pretty good average actually
  - arp242 2y ago
    Basically, some people can consistently respond faster. The 100ms figure just isn't accurate. I don't have extensive resources/references at hand, but I've read about this a few times over the years.
    - legacynl 2y ago
      > I don't have references ... but I've read about this a few times over the years. Yeah well, I did a psych bsc and I'm telling you that it's impossible. It's certainly possible for people to do and notice things way faster than that, like a musician noticing a drummer being a few ms off beat, or speedrunners hitting frame perfect inputs, but in those cases the expectation and internal timekeeping is doing most of the heavy lifting.
      - Aerroon 2y ago
        It's rhythm vs reaction time. We can keep a much smaller time interval rhythm than we can react at.
  - pyuser583 2y ago
    Reaction time can vary dramatically. Someone new to the “gunshot, run” dynamic could take longer, a soldier trained via repetition to react to a gunshot could be shorter, and a veteran with PTSD could be shorter still. 100ms is both too long and too short (or so I’ve heard, I’m not an expert).

dotancohen 2y ago

I once had a .517 reaction time in a drag race. You know how I did that? By fouling too late. It was completely unrepeatable. I'm willing to bet Bottas fouled that, too late (or late enough).