Physics, Astronomy departments join for open house

Barrels will be collapsing and professors will be lying on beds of nails with cement blocks on their stomachs Saturday at the Physics and Astronomy Open House.\nThe open house, which the departments have held for 40 years, is used to attract children and teenagers to the field of science, allowing them to see that science \ncan be fun. \n“I think (science is) something very worth while to get kids involved in, which the U.S. is sorely lacking in,” said assistant professor of physics Susan Brown. \nAbout 100 demonstrations and presentations will be held, ranging from acoustics to dry ice bowling to show the effects of friction. The experiments will be held both indoors and outdoors, Demonstrations range in age appropriateness, though there is no age limit \nfor participation. \nAssociate Professor of Physics Hal Evans said certain demonstrations will appeal more to each age group. The optical illusions will interest those around the age of 5 while the contest room will appeal more to high \nschool students. \nTwo lectures will be given throughout the day. Astronomy professor John Salzer will give the lecture, “There and Back Again,” at 10:45 a.m. and biophysics professor John Beggs will lecture on “Brainstorms” at 12:30 p.m. \nThe IU Physics and Astronomy Clubs will hold a joint demonstration, “Swain of the Dead: Zombie Physics” at 9:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. \n“They haven’t told us what that means but it should be fun,” Evans said.\nThe demonstration will include a rocket car, imploding oil drums and cans crushed \nby magnets. \nBesides the demonstrations and lectures, tours of the IU Cyclotron Facility will take place at 10:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Anyone over the age of 8 can ride a bus to the facility for a 90-minute tour. The participants will see the 2 million-ton particle accelerator that is usually closed to the public, as well as the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute. The Institute is one of four in the country where patients can have their cancer treated by proton radiation therapy, which delivers radiation to diseased sites without harming the healthy tissue. \nTours will also be held at the Kirkwood Observatory, where participants can observe real-time images of the sun, seeing sunspots and solar flares as they happen.