Two of chemistry's most colorful ambassadors will perform dazzling feats of physical science in an interactive chemistry show at UC Santa Cruz on Sunday, October 17, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Thimann 3 Lecture Hall. The event is free and open to the public.
Titled "Boiling Cold, Freezing Hot," the demonstration is presented in celebration of National Chemistry Week. It promises plenty of action, explosions, and spectacular displays of matter undergoing striking changes. The production is designed to promote interest in chemistry among students and the general public alike.
"I expect kids in middle school and older who are interested in science will really enjoy this show," said Roger Linington, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, who helped organize the event.
Donald Showalter (a.k.a. "Dr. Wow") and Marvin Lang star together in the production. Both have presented similar programs on TV shows and at museums and universities around the world, earning many awards for their success in communicating chemistry to the public.
Lang, a professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, served on the university's Academy of Letters and Science and received the academy's Distinguished Achievement Award in 1993. He has presented chemical education programs to the public at Disneyland in Anaheim, Epcot Center in Orlando, and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
Showalter, also a professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, was awarded the university's Outstanding Teaching Award twice. In 2005, he was named winner of the Tom Hayes Memorial Award for Excellence in Teacher Education. He appeared in the PBS series The World of Chemistry from 1987 to 1989, and he has performed chemistry demonstrations for audiences at Oxford University, Helsinki University, and countless locations across the United States.
The event is sponsored by the Santa Clara Valley Section of the American Chemical Society. It is hosted by the UCSC Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the UCSC student chapter of the American Chemical Society.
For more information, contact the chemistry department at (831) 459-4002.
