Martian curve ball [Archive]

arcticpenguin

21st February 2003, 08:40 AM

http://www.nature.com/nsu/030217/030217-11.html

Swedish physicists claim that spinning balls (soccer 'bending', baseball 'curve ball') would swerve in the opposite direction on Mars. Something to do with atmospheric density.

espritch

23rd February 2003, 10:41 AM

Well, I guess this explains why so few professional baseball pitchers are from Mars. ;)

scotth

24th February 2003, 08:48 AM

I bet it would be difficult to throw a decent curveball while wearing a space suit.

Walter Wayne

24th February 2003, 10:10 AM

So you mean they curve upwards instead of down.

Walt

garys_2k

24th February 2003, 10:20 AM

Originally posted by Walter Wayne
So you mean they curve upwards instead of down.

Walt
Of course, for certain non-positive values of "up."

arcticpenguin

24th February 2003, 10:21 AM

Originally posted by Walter Wayne
So you mean they curve upwards instead of down.
Walt
I presume they are talking about the left-right component of the curvature.

Upchurch

24th February 2003, 01:01 PM

My advisor in college did a whole big study into the physics of a curve ball. I'll have to send this on to him. Thanks!