The Magnus Effect might be the coolest thing in science you will ever see

This video is more proof that science is awesome. Veritasium explains the concept of the magnus effect using a basketball.

At first they drop the ball down the ledge and watch it fall essentially in the same place it was dropped.

Now, apply a bit of backspin, and something entirely different happens. The basketball floats along in the air for quite a bit before falling into the river. It even bounces off the river a few times before finally landing.

This is called the Magnus Effect and it probably explains why Ray Allen is such a good shooter too. He applies a strong amount of backspin to his shot and that's why he's such an accurate shooter. But more importantly, when you're up high over a river and have a basketball you have a cool experiment to try out now.

[h/t Rare]