1251: The Surprising Science Of Why Sneakers Squeak

from Science Friday · host Science Friday

March Madness is almost upon us, which means basketball arenas across the country will be filled with the thunderous roar of fans and the surprisingly loud squeaks of basketball shoes. At his first NBA game, physicist Adel Djellouli was surprised by the constant noise from the court and wondered, why do basketball shoes squeak? Turns out, the physics of a squeak involves lightning bolts and earthquakes.Host Flora Lichtman talks with Djellouli about his research and the joy of investigating seemingly simple questions. Guest: Dr. Adel Djellouli is an experimental physicist at Harvard University.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Mar 9, 2026

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The forces that cause sneakers to squeak also create mini-earthquakes (shoe-quakes, if you will) and tiny lightning bolts.

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1251: The Surprising Science Of Why Sneakers Squeak

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