A ‘Deflategate’ Science Project By A 12-Year-Old Neatly Explains The Physics — Exonerates Tom Brady While Proving Neil deGrasse Tyson Wrong? [Video]

A science project on “Deflategate” by a 12-year-old may prove Tom Brady’s innocence while indicating world famous astrophysicists Neil deGrasse Tyson needn’t be right all the time.

The science project based on the infamous scandal that rocked the NFL has offered one of the simplest and most practical explanations about the alleged under-inflated footballs. The experiment, conducted by a mere seventh-grader, went straight to the science fair and won him a top spot in the process.

A Massachusetts seventh-grader attempted to understand the science behind the Deflategate scandal. Not only did he come back enlightened, but he has managed to put forth compelling scientific evidence that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady may not be guilty of using intentionally deflated footballs. The amateur scientist even called on renowned astrophysicists and television star Neil deGrasse Tyson’s outright dismissal of plausible theories put forth by Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

A Lynn student whose last name is Goodell backs @Patriots with #DeflateGate science project. https://t.co/ZyKqKuY1LA pic.twitter.com/USQ54OxDsP

— WBZ | CBS Boston News (@wbz) March 8, 2016

Ben Goodell — no relation to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell – said he wanted to prove that Brady didn’t deflate footballs in the Deflategate scandal, reported the Daily Item. Goodell decided to see if the pressure inside the footballs was significantly influenced by the external atmosphere and weather conditions.

When the Deflategate scandal first broke, Patriots coach Bill Belichick argued that the 2 PSI drop in air pressure was the result of a change in temperature and other climatic conditions, reported Total Sports. He had indicated that the first PSI reading was taken indoors. Unlike the stadium, the inspection and locker rooms can be artificially heated to offer warmth. After all, you cannot expect the players to get ready in cold. However, the subsequent readings were taken after the balls had rolled around in the field. These balls had been exposed to the cold, wet New England winter.

The law of physics indicates that when the temperature drops, so does the pressure, and vice versa. In all likelihood, Belichick relied on this principle to put forth his theory, but it was widely ridiculed when Neil deGrasse Tyson said he was wrong.

For the Patriots to blame a change in temperature for 15% lower-pressures, requires balls to be inflated with 125-degree air.

— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) January 26, 2015

Interestingly, it was subsequently proven that Neil deGrasse Tyson was wrong and, being the gentleman that he is, accepted it graciously. The balls didn’t have to be 125 degrees for there to be a 2 PSI drop in air pressure, just 90 degrees. Unfortunately, all of this is theoretical, as real life throws a lot of curveballs that invariably messes with idealistic laboratory conditions. This is where the 12-year-old Goodell comes into play.

In an eight-page report, the seventh-grader set out to debunk Deflategate using an official NFL football, reported Fox News. Goodell inflated a few balls to regulation size and pressure and ran them through various artificially created weather conditions, including humidity and snow that could have occurred during the now infamous Deflategate game. His science project, which won him Outstanding Project Award at the February science fair, proved that balls could get deflated when subjected to cold weather and humidity,

“Every single time I did this test the PSI dropped at least 2 PSI. The lowest PSI recorded during deflategate was 2 PSI under proper inflation. That means it was scientifically proven that Tom Brady didn’t deflate the footballs, and it was just the weather conditions. I don’t think it was fair for them to just say he’s a cheater.”

Does this exonerate Tom Brady? While the theory may seem sound, there could be a lot more than mere science at play at the game. NFL lawyers have a federal appeals court in New York City to reinstate the league’s four-game suspension of Brady, which was earlier overturned, reported News Max.

[Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images]