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August 3, 2007

Strange But True!

Q. It turns out that a baseball outfielder chasing down a long fly ball and a dog catching a tossed frisbee have a LOT in common. Explain.

A. Both employ the LOT model of retrieving objects in flight, for “linear optical trajectory.” Here the player tries to keep the image of the ball at a relatively stable spot on his retina, so it appears to move in a straight line of sight and constant speed relative to home plate and any background features, says Ivars Peterson in “MathTrek” online. This is done unconsciously, reducing a complex 3-dimensional problem to a 2-dimensional one. The model helps explain why outfielders navigate an arc-shaped path to the ball rather than make a beeline for the expected landing spot, and why they may vary their pursuit speed. Naturally, long before LOT kicks in, fielding clues come from watching the batter's swing and listening for the sound of the ball hitting the bat — solid sweet smack vs. off-center clunk, says Robert Adair in “The Physics of Baseball.”


 
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