Channing Robertson, MS '68, PhD '70, is one of Stanford's most popular speakers. He is the Ruth G. and William K. Bowes Professor in the School of Engineering, the Yumi and Yasunori Kaneko Family University Fellow in Undergraduate Education, faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering, and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs in the School of Engineering. His research includes the behavior of proteins at or near solid/liquid interfaces and the genetic manipulation of microorganisms. Most sports balls are intended to follow a particular trajectory and be propelled at a certain speed. Sports such as golf, baseball, cricket, ping pong, tennis and soccer were “invented” well before we had a complete understanding of the motions of the projectiles involved, yet it is amazing that the balls we use have evolved in ways that are optimized for the intended purpose. Professor Robertson will discuss how these special features cause sports balls to travel longer distances and why they take strange trajectories during their flight.