Martian curve ball

[arcticpenguin]

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]

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

 

[scotth]

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

 

[Walter Wayne]

So you mean they curve upwards instead of down.

Walt

 

[garys_2k]

So you mean they curve upwards instead of down.

Walt

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

 

[arcticpenguin]

So you mean they curve upwards instead of down.
Walt

I presume they are talking about the left-right component of the curvature.

 

[Upchurch]

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!

 

[h.g.Whiz]

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!

Well...?

 

[Kid Eager]

Necrothread score: 11.3

 

[mijopaalmc]

BRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jimbob]

TBF, Upchurch's advisor should probably have had time to answer the question by now

 

[mijopaalmc]

It's possible that Mars rotates the opposite way Earth does. However, the Coriolis effect is very weak for small object over short distances even here on Earth.

 

[jimbob]

It's possible that Mars rotates the opposite way Earth does. However, the Coriolis effect is very weak for small object over short distances even here on Earth.

I thought that was the magnus effect not Coriolis effect - which would mean that a Northerly ball would seem to curve differently to a Southerly one.

 

[Kid Eager]

It's possible that Mars rotates the opposite way Earth does. However, the Coriolis effect is very weak for small object over short distances even here on Earth.

It's still strong enough to cause ripples in glass...

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

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

Now that would be a million dollar arm. (Air fare alone.)

 

[Ranb]

Is any ball going to curve at all (other than the affects of gravity) in the very thin Martian atmopshere?

Ranb

 

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Is any ball going to curve at all (other than the affects of gravity) in the very thin Martian atmopshere?

Ranb

Only if it has to get around Angela Jolie.

 

[Ranb]

But who wants to curve around her? Let me smack right into her.

Ranb

 

[Vermonter]

Dang, that's some high-level necromancy. I didn't know that we had threads from back then that were still available!

 

[jimbob]

It's still strong enough to cause ripples in glass...