Hands-On With Baseball’s Biggest Scientific Mysteries

By Erik Malinowski
June 15, 2011
 

Sure, baseball's origins date back to the early 19th century, but it's still the ultimate geek sport. Split-second decisions, weird physics and ever-evolving equipment permeate all facets of the game. There's a seemingly endless laundry list of questions that surround the sport: Does a curveball really curve? Why don't I hear the crack of the bat right when it happens? Do bats really have a "sweet spot"?

Of course, science can answer all of these questions and more, and San Francisco's Exploratorium museum has dedicated prime space on its main show floor for its Science of Baseball exhibit, which runs through Sept. 5 and features a dozen interactive installations that'll bring out the baseball geek in all fans.

the rest-really interesting, even though I don't follow baseball!