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October 26, 2009, 02:00 PM ET
Throwing a Curveball
When the Philadelphia Phillies meet the New York Yankees this week in the 2009 World Series, it's a safe bet that a batter will swing at a curveball and miss. Why is that pitch so difficult to hit?
A mind-bending animation created by four visual researchers demonstrates that the curveball is a simple trick of the eye. When batters try to gauge their approach to the ball, they must make a mid-swing switch between peripheral and central vision.
The animation -- created by visual researchers from American University, Dartmouth College, the State University of New York College of Optometry, and the University of Southern California -- took first place this past May in the sixth annual Best Visual Illusion of the Year Contest, sponsored by the Neural Correlate Society.
Tweed is The Chronicle's blog about the lighter side of academe. Don Troop investigates higher education's odd characters and amusing nooks.
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