Exploratorium Presents 'Science Of Baseball'

First, slide into the Exploratorium's home page in your own living room and discover the deep background behind the buzz. Ever wonder why curveballs curve? Or what powers an awesome home run swing? Log onto the Exploratorium's award-winning Science of Baseball website at www.exploratorium.edu and find out. Here's some of what you'll find:

Science of Baseball brings the action of the game into your home with interactive games. Test your reaction time - do you have what it takes to hit a 90 mph fastball? Use the interactive calculator to discover how far a Mark McGwire home run would go under different weather conditions. Hands-on activities using ordinary baseball equipment and some common household items will help you find the sweet spot on your bat or learn to throw amazing curve balls.

How are bats, balls, and gloves made? Take an online video tour of the Louisville Slugger factory. How would famous players have performed back in the Babe Ruth era? The Baseball Time Machine, primed with stats from Total Baseball, the Official Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball, will show you how certain players' stats stack up in different eras. You'll even see what some current players' 1920s-era baseball cards would have looked like.

The site also includes features on women in baseball, the Negro leagues, the Japanese leagues - and much more! It doesn't matter if you strike out or pop up. Log on to the Science of Baseball site this July, for a great time at the digital ballpark.

Also, take in the Baseball Edition of Iron Science Teacher, on Friday, July 6 at noon. Cheer on the competitors in this zany, science cook-off, where teachers compete before a live audience. In a fast-paced atmosphere where showmanship and creativity reign, science teachers are given ten minutes and a secret Baseball ingredient to concoct a science activity that can be used in the classroom. -- www.exploratorium.edu