Study measures early detection of aging in seeds

Aging is a part of life, and plants are no exception. The life cycle of a plant is felt in gene banks that store plant materials, such as seeds. Plant materials in gene banks may be accessed by farmers, researchers, conservationists, ...

First-ever study shows bumble bees 'play'

Bumble bees play, according to new research led by Queen Mary University of London published in Animal Behaviour. It is the first time that object play behavior has been shown in an insect, adding to mounting evidence that ...

Science uncovers the secret to superb shots in soccer

Soccer, also known as football, is the most popular sport in 57 countries, and its players are among the most highly paid athletes in the world; therefore, every shot is valuable. Knowing how to adjust foot orientation and ...

100% compostable coffee balls bid to take on Nespresso

Switzerland's biggest retailer launched a new coffee machine invention on Tuesday—fully compostable coffee balls which it hopes will shake up the global market and take on Nespresso's global dominance.

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Ball

A ball is a round, usually spherical but sometimes ovoid, object with various uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used for simpler activities, such as catch, marbles and juggling. Balls made from hard-wearing materials are used in engineering applications to provide very low friction bearings, known as ball bearings. Black powder weapons use stone and metal balls as projectiles.

Although many types of balls are today made from rubber, this form was unknown outside the Americas until after the voyages of Columbus. The Spanish were the first Europeans to see bouncing rubber balls (albeit solid and not inflated) which were employed most notably in the Mesoamerican ballgame. Balls used in various sports in other parts of the world prior to Columbus were made from other materials such as animal bladders or skins, stuffed with various materials.

As balls are one of the most familiar spherical objects to humans, the word "ball" is used to refer to, or to describe, anything spherical or near-spherical.

This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA