6/2/2025 Debra Levey Larson
Written by Debra Levey Larson
What do AE Associate Professor, Phil Ansell, and former NFL quarterback Tom Brady have in common? According to Ansell, “Neither one of us can throw a football without wobbles.”
Thanks to Veritasium, Brady and Ansell have something else in common. Several weeks ago, Veritasium’s film crew visited the low-speed wind tunnel at The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Ansell and his research group participated in helping understand some of the science behind Tom Brady’s spiral. They mounted a 3D-printed football in the portion of the tunnel that typically tests the flow or air around wing shapes.
You can watch the entire 27-minute video at https://youtu.be/J3i3F2e4IYs?si=R-ufUQQIhmgm1pHq, but if you’re short on time, the Illinois segment is introduced at about 14:30 with Ansell’s group appearing at approximately 15:30.