Bob CollinsSay what you will about New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and the overblown Deflategate scandal in which Brady was accused of letting air out of footballs, but it apparently is doing wonders for inspiring kids into science.
In Massachusetts, a kid is getting a lot of attention for his science fair project at St. Pius V Elementary School because it allegedly disproves the findings of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who has suspended Brady and stripped draft choices from the team for cheating.
Ben Goodell’s (no relation) project, “How Weather Conditions Affect PSI of a Football,” got him his second straight science fair championship at the school.
In its 243-page report, a scientist for the league concluded that the loss of air pressure in the footballs could not be explained by any “environmental or physical factors.”
So how to explain Ben’s findings? He took a football and tested it in a variety of conditions. Every time, he says, the PSI of the football dropped by two each time. Each time.
“I think some people think science is only in a laboratory,” Ben’s principal tells the Lynn Daily Item. “It’s really all around us all the time. That’s what gets kids hooked: relevance.”
“I don’t think it was fair for them to just say he’s a cheater,” Ben said, learning that there are people who won’t believe science no matter what it might prove.
