Sport science: softballs, baseballs, and curve balls

Hi friends, you may have heard that Mark and Sandon and I are on the road with Brains on Live. We've had so much fun seeing so many of you in person and we are so looking forward to our upcoming stops. Our next two stops are in Chattanooga and Durham, North Carolina. April eleventh and twelfth. Then we have some exciting news. San Francisco and Toronto were sold out. So San Francisco and Toronto tickets are available again.

Brains on universe. You're listening to Brains On, where we're serious about being curious.

Baseball and softball are both amazing sports, especially if you love science.

Yeah, there's physics in everything.

There's high speed calculations.

Every ball was carefully designed and engineered.

There's even psychology in the channel.

It's almost like sighs.

Waverly with a very rousing chant for science. You'll hear more chants as we get curious about these spots.

Is it peanuts and cracker jacks?

Did you hear about the brains on book?

Plus we invite the author to join us. We're starting with a story of a dog and cheetah who become best buds. It's called The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan by best-selling author Jasmine Warga. And if you want to join us, sign up for SmartyPass. You'll get to be in the book club, you get discounts on shirts. invites to online hangs with our team and more. Go to SmartyPass.

read the unlikely tale of Chase and Finnegan and send us your questions for the author. You're listening to BrainZone, part of the Brain Zone Universe. I'm Molly Bloom and my co-host today is Kian from Toronto, Canada. Hi, Kian.

Hi Molly.

Today's episode is about baseball. Are you a fan of baseball?

Of course.

Who's the team you cheer for?

Yeah.

Whew, go blue jays. Do you play baseball?

Yes, I can't wait for my summer league to start.

Awesome. What position do you play?

Um, first baseman. Oh

Oh, that's important. You gotta see a lot of action there. What's your favorite part of playing first base?

Getting to like Let's say someone hits the ball and you catch the ball, when they get out, it just feels like a good feeling. Also'cause it's first base, not third.

Yes.

It's the first time they come on, so you don't feel like they're ready for anything.

And do you like hitting too?

Of course.

If you were a professional player and you had your own walk up music, what song would you choose to walk up to?

Paso de Fugo by Flame Runners.

Does that song get you hyped up? So when you're at first base and someone is throwing you the ball and maybe they don't throw it exactly to you Is it how do you feel about like stretching out to catch it?

Um sometimes it hurts because like you're stretching your arm out all the way. Oh no

Yeah. You like almost have to do the splits sometimes.

Yes. It but it's always rewarding if you catch it and your foot's on the base and it's like, Yes, I got'em out.

Well, for today's episode, we thought it would be best to actually go to a game.

Hey team, you ready to roll? We don't want to miss the first pitch!

And there's our ride.

We get to take your tricked-out minivan? The Explorer? Is it gonna transform into a rocket or a deep-sea submarine?

Now, just because it's called extremely practical land and ocean rover exploring remote realms doesn't mean we always use it to explore remote realms like space or the ocean. Most of the time we just do normal rides. Hop in!

Yep, so normal. Um, but hey, there's traffic around the stadium, so we're taking a shortcut.

A shortcut? Yeah.

Literally, we're going to cut through the surface of the earth and drill a tunnel to the game. Here we go!

Well, so much for normal.

It's the brains.

I love being at the ballpark.

Yeah, these are great seeds, Mark.

Oh thanks. I have season tickets for the Eden Prairie Protons, and I wouldn't dare miss them going up against their the Hibbing Higgs bosons. Up and atom protons, you got this.

Yes.

Strike! Woohoo! That pitcher throws a mean curveball.

Speaking of curveballs, time to answer some questions.

Starting with this one.

I'm Abel from Inglewood, California. And my question is, why do baseballs curve when pitchers throw it?

Curve ball is a special way to throw a ball. It's when a pitcher tosses the ball and then the ball's path bends as it flies along.

It's super sneaky. Imagine you're at best.

You're ready to smack that ball out of the park. The pitcher throws it and it looks like it's heading right for your bat.

Ball come on.

But then it starts to curve and moves out of your range just as you swing. And so you totally miss it.

Так.

It's a popular pitch. You see it in both softball and baseball.

But how does it work?

There's no tiny pilot in the ball suddenly steering it in a different direction.

And it's not magnets pulling it down or a giant fan blowing it.

The curve comes from how it's through.

And believe it or not, the story of how we got this pitch involves a kid and a clamshell. The year was eighteen sixty three in the days before cars, telephones, even radio.

On a beach in Brooklyn, New York, there was a group of kids playing with the room.

They were tossing clamshells and they figured out they could pretty easily make the flat round shells curve.

Swung to the

Nothing, watch this one.

One of the kids was named William Arthur Cummings.

And William had a great idea.

So William went home, got a ball, and practiced.

He tested out different ways of throwing the ball to get that curve.

Rats.

needs more spin on it. Hm, let's try a different angle.

He worked on it for years, and by the time he was in his late teens, he was pitching for professional baseball teams.

Okay William, let's see if you can make this one do that good old curve.

He got so good that his teammates nicknamed him Candy.

Which was a popular nickname at the time for someone who was super complicated.

Thanks. Just a little something of it.

It didn't take long for other players to figure out how to do a curveball.

But Candy went down in history as the player to pioneer the throw.

He was even inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

So how does the curve ball work for the

We'll answer that mystery in a minute, but first, another mystery. It's the

Ready for the mystery sound key on? Yes. All right, here it is. What do you think?

Maybe shoveling, like trying to take shoveling ice off your driveway?

Oh I like that.

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I like that guess a lot. Should we hear it again? Mm-hmm. Okay. What do you have any new thoughts?

Sawing something in half?

Yes. I love that. Yeah,'cause I I heard like a motor in the background. Like there's like a car motorcycle in the distance, which I don't think is the sound, but does make me think that it's outside or something. And I feel like I heard metal at the end. So like someone's using metal. Yeah, saw. I love that idea. Okay, I'm going with saw two. Well, we will hear it again, get another chance to guess, and hear the answer at the end of the show.

So keep listening.

This show is powered by your questions.

Every topic we touched. Is suggested by a curious So send us your ideas!

Just go to brainson.org slash comments. We also love getting mystery sounds, jokes, drawings, or whatever else you want to send. Just go to brainzon.com. Get in touch.

Oh, and if you have an idea for a new room at the ever expense of We'd love to hear that.

Yeah, we might feature it in our mealbag, so get in touch.

Today's episode is sponsored by everybody. Are you like me and meal planning seems like

Is something that my brain cannot handle, and Everyplate has made this so much easier. Everyplate is the smart, approachable meal kit that delivers crave-worthy food right to your door without the stress, the extra cost, or mental low. Here are the great things about every plate. There are a ton of recipes to choose from, so there's something for everyone, even picky eaters. They're really easy to make. The steps are super simple, so your kids can even help you. And dinner can be on the table.

Me. Mark.

And we're at the ballpark having a totally normal day.

Photons! Get your fried photons here.

Fried photons? I spoke too soon.

Yeah, all the snacks at the Protons games are based on particle physics. They've got fried photons, quantum cookies, edible electrons, quark dogs.

Mmm, I love a fresh cork dog.

Hey there, Broski! Over here. I'll take a bag of those fried photons.

Coming at you!

Yeah.

Catch.

Keep the chain.

Well, it may not be the normal game day snacks, but I love combining sports and science.

Me too. In fact, that's why we asked our listeners to make up sporty chance for science, because we can all root for science. Check it out.

Science, sight!

Science, science, let's go.

Bye. Let it show.

This is...

But I think... Bye.

Think, think, think on my idea. Mega hypothesis, which is not a guest. Because science, science, science is a fan step!

Shout out to science and shout out to Ever, Elliot, Kai, and Lennon for sending us those chants.

We'll hear more later on, but first, let's find out more about that tricky throw, the curveball.

We learned that the curve ball was pioneered by Candy Cummings after he saw how clamshells curved when thrown.

It turns out balls can curve too.

And both shells and balls curve for the same reason. ER It works like this. When you throw a ball, it looks like it's flying through empty space. But it's not. It's flying through lots and lots of invisible air molecules. These are tiny pieces of gas, the stuff we breathe.

Just because we can't see those air molecules doesn't mean they aren't affecting how the ball moves. In fact, that air is the secret ingredient in making a ball curve.

To get a curve, you and you put a little spin on it with your fingertips as you let.

So the ball is both flying forward and spinning around.

It's spinning so that the top of the ball is spinning forward in the same direction as the throw.

Like the direction a tire spins when it's driving forward.

As that top side of the ball spins, it will be pushing forward on the air.

The bottom of the ball is spinning away from the direction of the throw.

That makes it so that there are fewer air molecules hanging out on the bottom of the ball.

So picture that ball. Pile of air molecules gathered on top of it.

And fewer air molecules on the bottom. That creates more pressure up top and less pressure below. That extra pressure on top.

There's another cool thing helping this ball curve. As the ball spins, it shoots some of the air molecules at the back of the ball upward.

Again, think of a car tire. Picture a tire driving forward through the mud. It will shoot some flecks of mud upward onto the car as it spins.

For the spinning baseball, it's air molecules that are shot upward. And as they go up, they push down on the ball.

That's a fundamental law of physics.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

In this case, the action of air molecules getting shot upward creates an opposite reaction of pushing the ball down.

Mm-hmm.

This is called the Magnus effect. It also helps a curveball curve.

There are different ways to throw a curveball. You can make a curve down, to the left, or right. You can curve a softball or a baseball. It all depends on the way you spin it. But the physics is the same.

The spin creates a lot of pressure on one side of the ball and less pressure on the opposite side.

And the spin shoots air molecules off one side of the ball, which means those particles push on the ball as they launch away.

Both things create a force on the ball that makes it bend in the air.

Thank you.

No! The Hibbings Higgs boson scored another point! They're creaming of protons. Come on, protons, come on!

Yikes, the protons are down by four runs.

Those Higgs bosons really know how to collide a bat with a ball.

Uh

This is terrible. Well sons! Your talon is so tidy, it's subatomic!

Come on Mark, remember the Proton's team motto, stay positive.

Okay, okay, you're right. You're right. They'll find a way to catch up.

That's more like it. And speaking of ketchup, anyone else ready for a cork dog?

Me!

Let's go hit the snack stand while Sandon checks the mailbag.

Hey, Sandon here in the Brains On Mail Room. I love when people send us in stuff inspired by past episodes. Like our episode on how trends start. Did you hear that one? Well, One Family sent us a really cool follow-up. Here, I'll read it. After listening to your episode on how trends Start. Ella thought you'd like to see pictures of a trend on the slopes in Vermont this winter. Kids are sticking gummy candy to their ski helmets and then snacking on the candies throughout the day.

stuck to the top of her helmet. Uh yeah, this is a trend that 100% Mark and I would be into. Gummies on the go? I mean who wouldn't love that? That's a great idea. Ella, thanks so much for sending in this trend report. If you've spotted a cool new trend, let us know about it. Go to brainson.org slash contact to fill us in. Thanks. That's it for the mailbag. Later.

You can get brains on Smash Boom Best and Forever Ago without the ad breaks by joining SmartyPass. Plus you get access to our book club and more. Just head to smartypass.org to become a member. Thanks.

S C I E N C E Is the one for me.

Physics, chemistry, astronomy and engineering, science is the best subject you'll ever be hearing.

Science, science, you're the best. Science science never rests.

Science science, yes you can you just

It's Molly with Mark and Keon, such amazing chance from you, our wonderful listeners. Huge thanks to Philippa, Bronte, Eno, Lucia, Misha, and Auden for sending those in. And we are back at the stadium talking baseball and softball.

And having a mostly normal, sometimes not so normal day at the bob.

Watch out!

I'm coming your way.

バイバイ!

I gotcha, little ball! Aim for my glove!

A talking ball? Okay, forget normal. Weird is more fun anyway.

Oh thank you

for catching me.

Are you kidding me? You're a home run hit by the Eden Prairie protons! I'm honored just to have you in my glove. Plus, now the protons are tied. They can win this! We could win this!

Yay!

I hope they can do it.

Great timing talking baseball because we were just about to answer this question.

Hi, my name is Titus and I'm from Alexandria, Louisiana. My question is, what are baseball made of?

Think you could help us out?

Sure, but I don't really know what's inside me.

That's okay. I know all about the insides of baseballs.

Plus, I brought my X-ray skinometer.

X-ray, what?

X-ray scanometer. It's a special tool that lets me scan something with an X-ray beam so I can see the insides. I usually use it at ball games to scan boxes of Cracker Jacks so I can see what prize they have in them. Okay, hold still, Ball. This will only tickle a lot.

It does tickle a lot!

Oh, I can see everything inside of this ball. It's got a lot of different layers.

Cool. What's at the very center? You see you see that the round core in the middle of the ball?

Oh, that's a material called cork. That cork is wrapped in rubber, and then all of that is tightly wrapped in a whole lot of yarn. And lastly, it's covered in white leather and sewn together with red stitches.

Whoa, so that stuff at the very core of the ball is cork? Like the stuff you use to plug a bottle of wine?

Precisely. It's a lightweight material that comes from a cork tree. And you see that layer of red stuff around the cork? That's the rubber.

Like what bouncy balls are made of?

Yeah, but you wouldn't want your whole baseball made of rubber. It would be too bouncy, too many home runs. The game wouldn't be as fun. So the cork and rubber center is wrapped in something else. Yarn.

Oh the yarn makes the ball a little less bouncy.

Exactly. And then you hold it all together with a white leather cover and get this. There are exactly 108 stitches on a regulation baseball. The rules for an official Major League Baseball are very strict about how these balls are made, so every ball is equal.

That only seems fair.

In the old days, like over a hundred years ago, the center of the ball was often made from the rubber of old melted shoes.

Shoe ball? Wild.

And people made their own baseballs to use in the game. But that led to problems. Some balls would be super bouncy, these were called lively balls, other balls would be hard to hit far, those were called dead balls. But as baseball got more popular, teams eventually agreed to all use one standard ball.

What about softballs?

They're not actually soft, and they don't have a core like a baseball does. They're all made of one solid material. Sometimes it's a mix of rubber and cork, or a mix of a material called polyurethane.

Cool stuff. Now let's turn off this X-ray skinometer.

Did you?

You guys see my insight?

Yep, at your center there's cork and rubber. Then that's wrapped in yarn, and it's all covered with leather and stitches.

I'm super cool inside.

Oh look, someone's running past third. Come on!

Come on! You can do it!

They're almost at home plate.

They did it! The Protons got another run! They're gonna win the game!

Baseball and softball are sports full of science.

Like a curveball. That's a throw that uses spin to make the ball bend its path.

It was dreamed up by a kid who liked throwing clay.

He later brought the pitch to professional baseball.

Baseballs are made of a cork and rubber core that's wrapped in yarn and held together by leather and stitches. For this episode of Brains On. This episode was produced by me, Molly Bloom, Mark Sanchez, and Sandon Totten. It was sound designed by Mark. Sanchez, who also wrote our theme music. We had voice acting by Andy Dusset, Vicky Lentur, Felix, Lulu, Karis, and Coco. Special thanks to Hannah Barker, Shadi Katirai, and Keon's family, Ava Aiden and Nasan.

No, I'm gonna stick with sawing wood.

Signwood, okay. I so for some reason to me it sounded like an apple. So I'm gonna say someone's selling an app.

Yeah.

Because maybe they're trying to make like a special squirrel feeder made from Your guess makes more sense.

Yeah.

Okay, here's the answer.

Oh my gosh. Qian, that was a hundred percent correct.

Yay!

That's so impressive. Have you do you like make stuff with whatever?

No. No.

No, but you you just put the hints together and you were like, This is it. It's someone signed wood. Mm-hmm. Nice work. Great ears. Now it's time for the Brain's Honor roll. These are the incredible kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings, and high-fives.

We'll be back next week with more baseball science.

Thanks for listening.