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Hoops, sweat and tears

Physicists help a US basketball team get to grips with its new ball.

This year, the US National Basketball Association (NBA) is switching from using a leather to a synthetic, microfibre ball. The animal-welfare group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is thrilled, but basketball players complain that the new ball is slippery and doesn't handle as well as the old one.

Read the story here.

Posted by Nicola Jones on October 27, 2006 06:30 PM |

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Staff: As a multi-discipline professional, I would hope that any of my posting found of useful bearing to the "subject", might find its' way to those involved.
I would be interested to learn of the elements which leach to the surface of 'ball leather' as the surface is worn. Perhaps addatives to the inflation atomosphere of the synthetic ball.
Regardless, much helpful data is being gleaned for several applications.
Jim Day

Posted by: Jim Day | October 30, 2006 10:14 PM

statistically speaking should they start retaking records?

Posted by: troye | October 31, 2006 08:09 PM

I didn't understand the sentence that said that silicon has a similar friction coefficient to human skin - doesn't the coefficient depend on the nature of both surfaces in contact?

Posted by: Nick | November 1, 2006 08:45 PM

Maybe the article left out a few details, but the physicists seemed to be a little too cursory in simulating biological tissue.

Posted by: Calvin | November 2, 2006 06:47 PM

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