...or you could just accept it as a way to set up a thought experiment that makes a lot of the scientific numbers more real to most people.

I guess? He didn't even mention it to hand-wave it away. He does mention other mundane problems like cold and oxygen toxicity.

I not a scientist, but doesn't our oxygen-rich atmosphere act as an accellerant? Density of the gasses that you're passing through would vary the friction, and more oxygen would fuel the flames of friction-based heat.

I'd argue with this guy, but I don't know enough about Saturn to dispute him.

that would have been a cool thing to include and discuss.

For what it's worth, I think Cassini burned up well above the first cloud deck. It's cool to think about what extreme pressures can do to elements, but yeah I don't typically like these "what would happen to you in a black hole?" deals that astrophysics people seem to be into when they are talking to us everyday proles.