The next CU Wizards show "Where Chemistry Meet Physics" on Saturday, Oct. 30, will spook children into learning through a Halloween theme with chemical reactions turning orange and black and self-lighting candles in pumpkins.
CU-Boulder chemistry and biochemistry Professor David Nesbitt will present the hour-long show at 9:30 a.m. in the Chemistry building, room 140, on the CU-Boulder campus. The show is free and open to the public.
Nesbitt also is a fellow of JILA, formerly the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics affiliated with CU-Boulder and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
His show will include firework explosions, a miniature geyser and an imploding steel drum, to demonstrate the concepts of freezing, boiling, light and heat.
"Science is in everything around us," Nesbitt said. "I want to give the kids an understanding of everyday phenomena using real simple chemistry and physics concepts."
Nesbitt will explain how old-fashioned ice cream is made, why glow sticks and fireflies glow, why pipes can burst in the winter (if we're not careful), and he will let students see how to boil water in a flask with the heat from their hands by lowering the boiling point of water.
Nesbitt said he hopes to help children nurture their naturally inquisitive attitudes and show them that "science is cool."
The CU Wizards series is an annual program that provides an informal introduction to astronomy, chemistry and physics, intended primarily for students in grades 5 through 9. It includes presentations by CU-Boulder faculty in various areas of expertise, ranging from biology to astrophysics.
Free parking is available only in lot 436, east of the engineering center, due to the CU football game. Closer parking also is available in the Euclid Avenue Autopark for a nominal fee. Anyone with a disability or special need should notify the physics office at (303) 492-6952 a few days in advance of the show.
For general information about the CU Wizards series call (303) 492-4318.