The Secret Behind Baseball's Muddy Magic

A world where baseballs are as slippery as ice. That was reality before the 1940s, when players started using a special mud to dull the shine of new balls. Now, scientists from the University of Pennsylvania have figured out what makes this "magic mud" so unique. The story begins with Lena Blackburne, a coach who found the perfect mud in New Jersey. Before him, players used water, soil, tobacco juice, or even shoe polish. These methods, however, damaged the balls. Blackburne's mud was different. After being harvested, it's strained, rinsed, and treated secretly before settling.Mud, in general, is a mix of clay, silt, and sometimes sand. It behaves like a non-Newtonian fluid, meaning its thickness changes under force. When sheared, mud's tiny clumps break apart, and the particles line up with the flow, making it thinner. Scientists have studied this behavior in disasters like mudslides and for tasks like dredging. But until recently, baseball's magic mud remained a mystery.