Tennis Chemists, working in a world too small to see without a microscope, know that the structure of the connections between atoms determines the strength of any material. It's “carbon nanotubes” that are improving the game of tennis. Hockey What's really underneath the dark and ordinary surface of the hockey puck--and the reasons it doesn't shatter when it slams into the wall. Snowboarding Snowboarding is all about boarders … those ultra cool, highly skilled, wild eyed adventurers with baggy pants and wild hair --who almost always land on their feet. Right? Well, half right. Because snowboarding is also about the board. Basketball When you go inside a basketball … beyond the standard color, the vertical black lines, and tiny little hole where the air goes in … there’s more to it than meets the eye. Even in something as simple and familiar as a basketball … chemistry plays a significant role.