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Because we use water all the time, most of us have an intuitive sense of how long it takes a drop of water to form and fall. More viscous liquids, like oil or shampoo or honey, drop more slowly depending on how thick they are, which can vary depending on concentration, temperature and more. If […]

Because we use water all the time, most of us have an intuitive sense of how long it takes a drop of water to form and fall. More viscous liquids, like oil or shampoo or honey, drop more slowly depending on how thick they are, which can vary depending on concentration, temperature and more. If you’ve ever tried pouring molasses, you know why it’s used as a metaphor for something moving very slowly, but we can easily see a drop of any of those liquids form and fall in a matter of seconds.
But what about the most viscous substance in the world? How long does it take to form a falling drop? A few minutes? An hour? A day?
How about somewhere between 7 and 13 years?
Pitch moves so slowly it can’t be seen to be moving with the naked eye until it prepares to drop. Battery for size reference.John Mainstone/University of Queensland
The Pitch Drop Experiment began in 1927 with a scientist who had a hunch. Thomas Parnell, a physicist at the University of Queensland in Australia, believed that tar pitch, which appears to be a solid and shatters like glass when hit with a hammer at room temperature, is actually a liquid. So he set up an experiment that would become the longest-running—and the world’s slowest—experiment on Earth to test his hypothesis.
Parnell poured molten pitch it into a funnel shaped container, then let it settle and cool for three years. That was just to get the experiment set up so it could begin. Then he opened a hole at the bottom of the funnel to see how long it would take for the pitch to ooze through it, form a droplet, and drop from its source.
It took eight years for the first drop to fall. Nine years for the second. Those were the only two drops Parnell was alive for before he passed away in 1948.
– YouTubewww.youtube.com
In total, there have been nine pitch drops in the University of Queensland experiment. The first seven drops fell between 7 and 9 years apart, but when air conditioning was added to the building after the seventh drop, the amount of time between drops increased significantly. The drops in 2000 and 2014 happened approximately 13 years after the preceding one. (The funnel is set up as a demonstration with no special environmental controls, so the seasons and conditions of the building can easily affect the flow of the pitch.)
The next drop is anticipated to fall sometime in the 2020s.
The first seven drops fell around 8 years apart. Then the building got air conditioning and the intervals changed to around 13 years.RicHard-59
Though Parnell proved his hypothesis well before the first drop even fell, the experiment continued to help scientists study and measure the viscosity of tar pitch. The thickest liquid substance in the world, pitch is estimated to be 2 million times more viscous than honey and 20 billion times the viscosity of water. No wonder it takes so ridiculously long to drop.
One of the most interesting parts of the Pitch Drop Experiment is that in the no one has ever actually witnessed one of the drops falling at the Queensland site. The drops, ironically, happen rather quickly when they do finally happen, and every time there was some odd circumstance that kept anyone from seeing them take place.
The Queensland pitch drop funnel is no longer the only one in existence, however. In 2013, Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, managed to capture its own pitch drop on camera. You can see how it looks as if nothing is happening right up until the final seconds when it falls.
– YouTubewww.youtube.com
Today, however, with the internet and modern technology, it’s likely that many people will be able to witness the next drop when it happens. The University of Queensland has set up a livestream of the Pitch Drop Experiment, which you can access here, though watching the pitch move more slowly than the naked eye can detect is about as exciting as watching paint dry.
But one day, within a matter of seconds, it will drop, hopefully with some amount of predictability as to the approximate day at least. How many people are going to be watching a livestream for years, waiting for it to happen?
PoorJohn Mainstone was the custodian of the experiment for 52 years, from 1961 to 2013. Sadly, he never got to witness any of the five drops that took place during his tenure. Neither did Parnell himself with the two that took place while he was alive.
John Mainstone, the second custodian of the Pitch Drop Experiment, with the funnel in 1990.John Mainstone, University of Queensland
Sometimes science is looks like an explosive chemical reaction and sometimes it’s a long game of waiting and observing at the speed of nature. And when it comes to pitch dripping through a funnel, the speed of nature is about as slow as it gets.
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Bruncaj Books One Last NCAA Trip
Story Links GENEVA, OHIO – Eliza Bruncaj is making one last trip to nationals. The star senior for the TCNJ women’s track and field team is headed to SPIRE Institute next week to compete in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Bruncaj soared into 16th on the Division III […]

GENEVA, OHIO – Eliza Bruncaj is making one last trip to nationals.
The star senior for the TCNJ women’s track and field team is headed to SPIRE Institute next week to compete in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Bruncaj soared into 16th on the Division III performance list with a season-best time of 1:01.94 at the AARTFC Championships, extending her career and putting her back on the biggest stage for one last hurrah.
Bruncaj’s decorated career has included now six appearances at an NCAA championship meet. She has been a three-time relay qualifier, and has also twice competed in the indoor pentathlon. This marks her second career ticket to run in the 400 hurdles championship and a call-back to the best performance of her TCNJ tenure when she placed fourth in the event at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Bruncaj is a 4-time NCAA All-American.
Bruncaj will compete in the 400 hurdles prelims at 6:25 p.m. on Thursday.
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MAAC Announces Baseball All-Academic Team
Story Links POMONA, NY – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) released the 2025 All-Academic Team for Baseball on Monday morning. Representing the Jaspers were Ryan Brader (Finance), Andrew Brown (Finance), Josiah Brown (Marketing), Matthew Corwin (Finance), Carter Cowburn (Finance), Joseph Duffield (Finance), Trevor Hansen (Economics), Jake Hatch (Masters of Business […]

POMONA, NY – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) released the 2025 All-Academic Team for Baseball on Monday morning.
Representing the Jaspers were Ryan Brader (Finance), Andrew Brown (Finance), Josiah Brown (Marketing), Matthew Corwin (Finance), Carter Cowburn (Finance), Joseph Duffield (Finance), Trevor Hansen (Economics), Jake Hatch (Masters of Business Administration), Aidan Katzman (Finance), Landon Kuntzelman (Finance), Andreaus Lewis (Organizational Leadership), Dylan Mayer (Undecided), Ryan McLaughlin (Finance), JD Stemhagen (Marketing), Brant Vicini (Finance).
A total of 187 student-athletes were selected to the 2025 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Baseball All-Academic Team. To be eligible for the MAAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must complete two semesters at their institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale.
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Sixteen From CCIW Set to Compete at NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship
Story Links NAPERVILLE – Sixteen qualifying performances will represent the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) beginning Thursday at the NCAA Division III Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio. CCIW student-athletes from eight different institutions will participate in 11 different events. The […]

NAPERVILLE – Sixteen qualifying performances will represent the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) beginning Thursday at the NCAA Division III Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio.
CCIW student-athletes from eight different institutions will participate in 11 different events. The CCIW has three qualifiers in the hammer throw and also has the top seed in the pole vault – Millikin’s Kyle Hensley. League champion North Central led the league with six qualifiers in five different events.
Selections were released by the NCAA last Friday. Qualifying marks from Saturday, March 1, to Friday, May 16, were considered. The Championship will conclude on Saturday in Geneva.
CCIW Men’s Qualifiers
200 Meter Dash
6. Ibrahim Diakite, Millikin
7. Jereme Ombogo, North Park
400 Meter Dash
5. Evan Lowder, Illinois Wesleyan
110 Meter Hurdles
21. AJ Banks, Augustana
22. Kamil Kokot, North Central
3000 Meter Steeplechase
13. Joe Langridge, Augustana
5000 Meter Run
18. Braden Nicholson, North Central
10000 Meter Run
4. Braden Nicholson, North Central
17. BJ Sorg, North Central
Triple Jump
20. Jayden Leise, North Central
Hammer Throw
7. Lucas Leal, Carthage
18. Anthony Zajac, North Central
22. Jimmy Hinkley, Carroll
High Jump
12. Ty Bova, Wheaton
Pole Vault
1. Kyle Hensley, Millikin
Decathlon
10. Mike Hudson, Augustana
CCIW on X | CCIW Instagram | CCIW Facebook |
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.), Carroll University (Waukesha, Wis.), Carthage College (Kenosha, Wis.), Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, Ill.), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, Ill.), Millikin University (Decatur, Ill.), North Central College (Naperville, Ill.), North Park University (Chicago, Ill.) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.).
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USA Volleyball Announces 2025 Women’s U23 National Team
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (May 19, 2025) – USA Volleyball is proud to announce the 18 athletes who will train with the 2025 Women’s U23 National Team for the NORCECA U23 Pan American Cup, July 25-August 2 in Leon, Mexico. The selected athletes will gather for a training block at the National Team Training Center in Anaheim, Calif., […]

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (May 19, 2025) – USA Volleyball is proud to announce the 18 athletes who will train with the 2025 Women’s U23 National Team for the NORCECA U23 Pan American Cup, July 25-August 2 in Leon, Mexico.
The selected athletes will gather for a training block at the National Team Training Center in Anaheim, Calif., from July 18-25. From this pool, 12 athletes will be chosen to represent the United States in Mexico.
DePaul University women’s head coach Marie Zidek will lead the team, assisted by five-time Olympian Danielle Scott (LOVB) and Olympian Kayla Banwarth (PVF).
“This is a well-balanced group, deep with skill and talent in every position, and it’s capable of producing many points in a variety of ways,” Zidek said. “They will work diligently this summer to become an organized team. My staff and I are excited for this unique program responsibility. We will strive to develop a strong team game that continues to represent USA Volleyball with competitive pride.”
The roster features many of the stars from collegiate and professional programs across the country. Several athletes bring impressive resumes, including past gold medals and MVP honors from international competitions.
- Merritt Beason: 2024 Women’s National Team, Pan Am Cup Final Six (silver); 2022 Women’s U1 National Team, Pan Am Cup (gold, MVP)
- Lauren Briseño: 2023 Women’s U21 National Team, Pan Am Cup (gold, best receiver)
- Chloe Chicoine: 2023 Women’s U21 National Team, Pan Am Cup (gold, MVP, best outside hitter); 2022 Women’s U21 National Team, Pan Am Cup (gold, best spiker); 2021 Girls U18 National Team, U18 World Championship (bronze)
- Raven Colvin: 2023 Women’s U21 National Team; 2022 Women’s U21 National Team, Pan Am Cup (gold)
- Cara Cresse: 2024 Women’s National Team, Pan Am Cup Final Six (silver)
- Eva Hudson: 2024 Women’s National Team, Pan Am Cup Final Six (silver); 2023 Women’s U21 National Team, Pan Am Cup (gold)
- Devin Kahahawai: 2023 Women’s U21 National Team, Pan Am Cup (gold); 2022 Women’s U21 National Team, Pan Am Cup (gold); 2021 Girls U18 National Team, U18 World Championship (bronze)
- Emmy Klika: 2023 Women’s U21 National Team
- Marianna Singletary: 2023 Women’s U21 National Team, Pan Am Cup (gold); 2022 Women’s U21 National Team; 2021 Girls U18 National Team
- Norah Sis: 2023 Women’s U21 National Team, Pan Am Cup (gold, 2nd best outside hitter); 2022 Women’s U21 National Team, Pan Am Cup (gold)
- Ella Swindle: 2023 Women’s U21 National Team; 2022 Women’s U21 National Team; 2021 Girls U18 National Team
As the countdown to LA 2028 continues, the U23 Pan American Cup provides a vital opportunity for elite player development and international experience within USA Volleyball’s national team pipeline.
USA Volleyball Women’s U23 Roster
Name, (Pos., Height, Hometown, College/Pro, Region)
Merritt Beason (OPP, 6-3, 2003, Gardendale, Ala., Pro Volleyball Federation, Southern)
Lauren Briseño (L, 5-7, 2003, San Antonio, Texas, Baylor Univ., Lone Star)
Brooke Bultema (MB, 2004, Cincinnati, Ohio, Univ. of Kentucky, Ohio Valley)
Averi Carlson (S, 5-11, 2003, Lucas, Texas, SMU, North Texas)
Chloe Chicoine (OH, 5-10, 2004, Lafayette, Ind., Univ. of Louisville, Hoosier)
Raven Colvin (MB, 6-1, 2003, Indianapolis, Ind., Pro Volleyball Federation, Hoosier)
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla (MB, 6-2, 2004, Flower Mound, Texas, Texas A&M, North Texas)
Cara Cresse (MB, 6-6, 2003, Ft. Wayne, Ind., Univ. of Louisville, Hoosier)
Eva Hudson (OH, 6-1, 2004, Ft. Wayne, Ind., Univ. of Kentucky, Hoosier)
Devin Kahahawai (OPP, 6-4, 2004, Kailua, Hawaii, Univ. of Texas, Aloha)
Caroline Kerr (S, 5-11, 2004, Champaign, Ill., Univ. of Tennessee, Great Lakes)
Emmy Klika (L, 5-7, 2003, Novelty, Ohio, Pro Volleyball Federation, Ohio Valley)
Ava Martin (OH, 6-1, 2004, Overland Park, Kan., Creighton Univ., Heart of America)
Jurnee Robinson (OPP/OH, 6-1, 2004, Simpsonville, S.C., LSU, Palmetto)
Lauren Rumel (OH, 6-2, 2003, Tucson, Ariz., Oregon State Univ., Arizona)
Marianna Singletary (MB, 6-4, 2004, Charleston, S.C., N/A, Southern)
Norah Sis (OH, 6-2, 2003, Papillion, Neb., Pro Volleyball Federation, Great Plains)
Ella Swindle (S, 6-2, 2004, Columbia, Mo., Univ Univ. of Texas, Heart of America)
Coaches
Head Coach: Marie Zidek (DePaul)
Assistant Coach: Kayla Banwarth (PVF, Olympian)
Assistant Coach: Danielle Scott (LOVB, Olympian)
Performance Analyst: Matthew Andrews (Michigan)
ATC: Cherryl Bueno (Coast to Coast AthletiCare)
Team Lead: Taylor Marten (Ozark Juniors)
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Six Beach Volleyball Players Earn Degrees – LSU
BATON ROUGE – Six LSU Beach Volleyball players earned their LSU degree during Friday and Saturday’s graduations. Gabi Bailey, Parker Bracken, Emily Meyer, Aubrey O’Gorman, Cassidy Fritz and Madison Meyers all helped LSU reach their eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance with being the No. 11 seed at the 2025 NCAA Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama […]

BATON ROUGE – Six LSU Beach Volleyball players earned their LSU degree during Friday and Saturday’s graduations.
Gabi Bailey, Parker Bracken, Emily Meyer, Aubrey O’Gorman, Cassidy Fritz and Madison Meyers all helped LSU reach their eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance with being the No. 11 seed at the 2025 NCAA Championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama and have now graduated from LSU.
Bailey graduated with a master’s degree in business administration. She has been a mainstay in the LSU lineup since her transfer in 2023. In two seasons with the Sandy Tigs, Bailey went 46-24 and played a crucial role in the Tigers 2024 Final Four run and 2025 NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2024, Bailey and partner Ellie Shank won 20 matches together and earned AVCA Second Team All American honors. In her final season with the Sandy Tigs, Bailey and Bracken had an overall record of 26-6 on Court 1 for the 2025 season. The pair earned AVCA First Team All American, AVCA Top Flight (Court 1) CCSA Pair of the Year, and CCSA All-Conference honors.
Bracken has been a four-year starter for the Sandy Tigs where she went 105-45 overall on Courts 1-4. She is just one of three players in LSU Beach Volleyball to earn 100 wins as a Tiger. Bracken received her bachelor’s degree in construction management . During her time at LSU, Bracken has made her mark in the LSU Beach Volleyball record books including 2025 AVCA First-Team All American, back-to-back CCSA Pair of the Year honors with partners Reilly Allred (2024) and Bailey (2025), AVCA Top Flight in 2022 (Court 2) and 2025 (Court 1), 2023 CCSA All-Tournament team and a spot on the 2022 CCSA All-Freshman Team. Bracken also earned SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll in 2023 and 2024.
Meyer returned to Louisiana to play at LSU after two years at her previous school. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and will be attending PT school at LSU- New Orleans. Throughout her career at LSU, Meyer was 45-19, seeing action on Courts 4 and 5. Meyer earned AVCA Top Flight in 2024 (Court 5) and was named to the 2025 CCSA All-Tournament team.
O’Gorman is a 2-year starter for the Sandy Tigs. She has gone 32-23 overall on Courts 2 and 3 during her LSU career. She earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing. O’Gorman achieved the 2024 AVCA Top Flight (Court 3) and SEC Spring Academic Honor roll in 2024.
Fritz has earned a bachelor’s degree in construction management. Throughout her LSU career, she has won 10 matches, coming from Court 4 and 5. Fritz has also been named to the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll in 2023 and 2024.
Meyers received her bachelor’s degree in nutritional food sciences and plans on attending dental school at the University of Kentucky. She was on the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll in 2023 and 2024. Meyers is also one of the LSU nominees for the SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Award. The H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post-Graduate Scholarship has been presented by the Southeastern Conference since 1986 to the league’s top male and female scholar-athletes. The SEC provides the league’s male and female McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year Post-Graduate Scholarship recipients with a $26,000 post-graduate scholarship. The 26 remaining male and female finalists for the award will also receive a $30,000 postgraduate scholarship.
Sports
USA Junior Wins 2025 Men’s Senior Nationals Title
Story Links San Diego, CA – May 19 – The 2025 Men’s Senior Nationals concluded at UCSD Canyonview Aquatic Center in San Diego, CA yesterday with USA Junior winning the championship. USA Junior went a perfect 4-0 on the weekend to claim the title. Los Angeles Athletic Club finished as the runner-up […]
San Diego, CA – May 19 – The 2025 Men’s Senior Nationals concluded at UCSD Canyonview Aquatic Center in San Diego, CA yesterday with USA Junior winning the championship. USA Junior went a perfect 4-0 on the weekend to claim the title. Los Angeles Athletic Club finished as the runner-up while New York Athletic Club took home third place. For complete final standings and individual award winners, see below.
Final 2025 Men’s Senior Nationals Standings
- USA Junior
- Los Angeles Athletic Club
- New York Athletic Club
- The Olympic Club
- UC San Diego
- Long Beach AF
- Alumni
- Riptide
- NYAC B
- Berkeley WPC
- Puerto Rico
- Channel Islands
- USA Youth Red
- USA Youth Blue
Individual Award Winners
MVP: Peter Castillo, USA Junior
Top Scorer: Ryder Dodd, USA Junior
Top Goalkeeper: Viktor Nagy, Alumni
USA Junior Goes Undefeated: USA Junior swept its weekend slate to become 2025 Men’s Senior Nationals champions! USA Junior squared off against Los Angeles Athletic Club in the championship game yesterday at UCSD Canyonview Aquatic Center.
LAAC came out firing in the opening quarter. Andras Toth put LAAC in front early and Ryder Dodd responded for USA Junior but that was all they could manage in the first. LAAC put together five more goals as Toth, Gray Carson, Frederico Jucá Carsalade, Robert Lopez Duart, and Sergi Cabanas all found the back of the net for a 6-1 lead after one. USA Junior started to come on in the second period but LAAC held strong. Ryan Ohl and Ryder Dodd (2) hit three quick ones to bring USA Junior within two before Marcell Szecsi, Samu Biros, and Chase Dodd pushed the LAAC lead back to five. Bode Brinkema and Dashiell McFarland traded goals for USA Junior and LAAC before Landon Akerstrom hit for USA Junior at the end of the half to leave LAAC up 10-6 at the break.
Following intermission, USA Junior began to flip this game and it started with a big offensive quarter. Seven third quarter goals from Ryan Ohl, Ben Liechty, Ryder Dodd (2), Max Zelikov, and Brinkema (2) offset three scores by LAAC via Dénes Varga, Cabanas, and Lopez Duart to leave things level at 13-13 headed to the final frame. USA Junior continued its momentum from the third into the fourth. Midway through the period, Akerstrom and Zelikov pushed USA Junior up by two with back-to-back goals. From there, LAAC needed offense that it just couldn’t muster culminating with a couple of big blocks late from USA Junior goalkeeper Charles Mills. With under one minute to play, Ryan Ohl ended any doubt with one more late goal and USA Junior emerged victorious, 16-13.
USA Junior was led by Ryder Dodd with five goals while Ryan Ohl and Landon Akerstrom each chipped in three. LAAC got two goals each from Andras Toth, Sergi Cabanas, and Robert Lopez Duart.
New York Athletic Club Upends The Olympic Club For 3rd: New York Athletic Club and The Olympic Club were locked in a tight contest throughout the third place game. NYAC took a 5-3 lead after one via goals from Hannes Daube, Alex Bowen (3) and Elias Liechty while The Olympic Club’s Riley Pittman recorded all three goals early. In the second, NYAC put home four as Daube, AJ Rossman, Massimo Di Martire, and Makoto Kenney scored. Ben Forer and Colin Mulcahy scored two for The Olympic Club to leave NYAC up 9-5 at the half.
The Olympic Club scored first to open the second half when Pittman put home another. Olympic Club also got scores from Thomas Carroll and Mulcahy whereas NYAC fed Bowen, Gianpiero Di Martire, Matthew Farmer, and Jacob Cavano for four goals and a 13-8 edge after three. The Olympic Club did its best to make this interesting late. Pittman scored two more to open the final frame before Marcus Longton cut the deficit to two. Midway through the quarter, Rossman scored again for NYAC but Garrett Dunn had an answer for Olympic Club. At this pressure packed moment in the game, NYAC turned to its Olympians and they did the trick. Bowen and Daube each scored down the stretch to put the game away for NYAC and earn the 16-12 victory.
Video Highlights: Overnght Media was on site this weekend in San Diego to stream Senior Nationals. Highlights from some of those matches will be available soon.
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