The Ball

John Fox, a Harvard Ph.D. anthropologist, talked to CNN about his new book, The Ball: Discovering the Object of the Game

 

CNN: Your book starts with a basic question from your son, "Why do we play ball?" Did you find an answer?
Fox: I wouldn't say I found an answer. It's a philosophical question as much as a scientific one, but what I did find was a variety of answers that add up to something interesting. One of the things that surprised me was just learning about why we play in the first place and what the benefits are psychologically and cognitively.
We think of playing sports as having obvious physical rewards, but I learned that play is a way that we develop knowledge and cognitive skills about the world. The importance of playing ball for our ability in becoming intelligent, sentient beings is as important as any physical benefits.
That surprised me because I don't think we think of play as something that makes us smarter. It makes us able to think better and faster and that was a revelation.

Read the rest here:

 

Behind 'The Ball': Author talks about why we play

By Christian DuChateau, CNN

 

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