As a Kentuckian or Hoosier, it’s hard not to be a basketball fan. While you may have watched and played plenty of basketball, have you ever thought about how much science is involved?

There’s science in every aspect of a basketball game: the materials and processes used to make a basketball; the angle, arc, and speed used when shooting a 3-pointer; the effect of gravity on shooting, passing, and dribbling; and the technology involved in complex scoreboards and timekeeping systems.

As you’re watching conference tournaments to see the science in action, we’d like to invite you to join the Kentucky Science Center Bracket Challenge. This year’s winner will receive a free Family Membership to do science with us throughout the next year. The odds of picking a perfect bracket aren't great (1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808, or 9 quintillion+), but luckily you won’t need a perfect bracket to win. Second and third place finishers will receive a 4 pack of admission tickets.

You can join the bracket challenge by clicking here. Brackets will go live after Sunday night’s selection show. Good luck and thanks for doing science with us! Stay tuned to our social media for more basketball/bracket science throughout the tournament.

This contest is not open to Kentucky Science Center employees or their family members.