Baseball. It is America’s pastime and has been for nearly a hundred years. But most people are not aware of the scientific processes that make up the game. On Thursday, the public will have the opportunity to learn about the physics of baseball.

Professor Eli Rosenberg, chairman of the physics and astronomy department, is giving a seminar on the physics of baseball. The seminar coincides with the World Year of Physics, an international celebration of physics endorsed by the United Nations.

This seminar is just one of the many “events throughout the year that will highlight the vitality of physics and its importance in the coming millennium and will commemorate the pioneering contributions of Albert Einstein in 1905,” according to their Web site. “Through the efforts of a worldwide collaboration of scientific societies, the World Year of Physics brings the excitement of physics to the public and will inspire a new generation of scientists.”

“It’s summer and it’s baseball season, so it seemed like the perfect time,” Rosenberg said.

Rosenberg said he decided to do this as a lead-in to a field trip the physics department will take to an Iowa Cubs game sometime this summer.

“I’m not sure if understanding the physics will give people more appreciation of the game,” Rosenberg said.

However, he hopes the seminar will help people understand physicists.

“If one knows physics, then they know how it can be applied, and have appreciation for how a physicist approaches a problem. They tend to have a bad rap of being these brainy guys who live up in the clouds, so I’m trying break that barrier.”

Rosenberg said he is not going to talk about the mechanics of pitching. This decision might leave some audience member’s expectations unfulfilled. He said he plans to talk about the baseball in the air and the collision between the ball and the bat.

“He’s not talking about pitching?” said Logan Scholl, senior in finance.

“Well, damn. I might not go then.”

Rosenberg isn’t sure what kind of audience to expect.

He said if he gets some people who aren’t physics majors, then he’ll be happy.

“Physics is wonderful and everyone should be a physics major,” he said.

“I don’t think that is an attainable goal, though.”

Rosenberg’s physics of baseball seminar is scheduled for noon Thursday in room 301B of Spedding Hall.