Have you ever wondered how is it that Cole Hamels can throw a curveball and fake out the batters? As we so often find out in science, things may not be as simple as we first thought:

Initially, there was a debate over if a curveball actually curved in the air. Some people thought it might only be an optical illusion, while others argued that it really curved. Eventually, it was shown that curveballs really do curve (Check out this page). How? It all depends on how the baseball is spinning when it leaves the pitcher’s hand. Proper curveballs spin in such a way to create an area of high-pressure on the top of the ball (or slightly off to the side) to force the ball downwards faster than it would fall with gravity alone (Thank you Wikipedia).

But wait! It turns out that those who thought curveballs were merely illusion were not totally wrong! While a curveball does actually curve, its movement is exaggerated by an optical illusion. The illusion was recently shown by Arthur Shapiro of Bucknell University in Pennsylvania (and can be seen here), whose illusion was voted the best visual illusion in the world. So what is Cole Hamels really throwing at the plate? Looks like part curving ball, part optical illusion.

By now you’re probably wondering why there is a cute picture of a group of kids wearing Phillies gear gathering around a large metal bowl and not a picture of someone throwing a baseball. Good eye! This is a picture from when Wondergy was at the Phillies to make ice cream and explore the science of states of matter (our CoolScience program). This year is our third season with the Phillies!

As we near the summer, we can feel the hotter air hit us in the morning as we leave the comfort of our homes.  Despite the weather being very inconsistent over the past couple of weeks, we can feel summer coming up as colleges graduate their seniors and schools are planning to let out their students in the not too distant future.

Even though the summer is coming, the learning does not have to end. The books are gone and this just means learning is going to take on another form. New things are happening around us all the time and how we deal with it is the biggest question. We could ignore it, or we embrace it. The new experiences that we will have over the summer teaches us about the weather, the seasons, and the environment. We see it on the news, and we experience it in our lives.

The goal is to just be as open to any type of learning that we can. This may not always be knowledge that we will use in the next grade in school, but it is information nonetheless that can be applied to all walks of life. Be aware of your surroundings; be curious and you will learn.

What will you learn? Who knows? But it’s your job to find out!