Be sure to bring an extra pair of clean underwear to the April 29 CU Wizards show because CU-Boulder chemistry professors Tarek Sammakia and Gordon Yee may be asking to use them in one of their demonstrations.
The Wizards will be burning underwear, firing potatoes from cannons, igniting hydrogen soap bubbles and much more to demonstrate mechanical, heat and light energy release at the show titled, "Fireflies, M&M's and a Few Gratuitous Explosions."
The free hour-long show, intended primarily for students in grades five through nine, begins at 9:30 a.m. in room 140 of the Cristol Chemistry Building.
Sammakia and Yee will demonstrate the luminescence reaction in fireflies, illustrate the caloric content in an M&M candy by burning it, simulate a grain elevator explosion and "blow up a bunch of stuff" to demonstrate how energy is released in chemical reactions.
When asked if he had any advice for the audience, Sammakia jokingly advised participants to duck.
CU Wizards is an annual program that provides an informal introduction to astronomy, chemistry and physics. The series includes presentations by CU-Boulder faculty in various areas of expertise, ranging from biology to astrophysics.
Free parking is available in lot 436, east of the Engineering Center; lot 378, east of the Stadium Building; and lots 169 and 396, north of the stadium. Parking closer to the Cristol Chemistry Building is available for a nominal fee in the Euclid Avenue Autopark, just east of the University Memorial Center, but parking in this lot may be difficult on April 29 due to other events.
Anyone with a disability or special need should notify the physics office at (303) 492-6952 a few days prior to the show.
The next show in the CU Wizards series is "Lasers and Lights" with physics Professor Dana Anderson. The show is on Saturday, May 27, at 9:30 a.m. in Duane Physics room G1B30.
For more information about the CU Wizards series call (303) 492-4318.