The Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rutgers University
will present its ever-popular, spectacular holiday show – the annual Faraday
Christmas Children’s Lecture. Designed to dazzle and capture the imaginations
of young and old alike, the demonstrations feature such spectacles as real
flowers frozen to the point where they shatter like glass, exploding hydrogen
balloons, a person lying on a bed of nails and a fire extinguisher used to
rocket a person across the room.
Physics demonstrator Dave Maiullo explains fluid dynamics with a smoke-ring cannon.
The shows are based on
the tradition of famous British physicist Michael Faraday, whose work in the
early 1800s laid the foundation for the electric motor and electrical
generation. His Children’s Christmas Lectures at London’s Royal Institution, which continue
today, were designed to communicate to youngsters the excitement of scientific discovery
during a season of joy and celebration.
Rutgers’ version is produced by Mark Croft, a physics
professor in the School
of Arts and Sciences, and
physics support specialist Dave Maiullo. The demonstrations they will present
are routinely used in university physics courses not just to inform students
but also with an eye toward humor, exciting the imagination and emphasizing the
fun in science.
The shows are open to
the public and free of charge. Early arrival is advised to ensure seating.
Overflow seating will be available in a nearby classroom with a video link to the show. Further information, including images from past performances, driving
directions and weather-related rescheduling, can be viewed at www.physics.rutgers.edu/~croft/FARADAY.HTML.
