Science can be an intimidating subject for a lot of folks. The dense jargon, arcane chemicals and microscopic worlds that scientists study can seem unapproachable for the uninitiated. Smashing these stereotypes, professor Bassam Shakhashiri speaks in the universal language of music, electricity and explosions.
Last weekend, the UW-Madison chemistry professor delighted a packed house of both young and old with a variety of dramatic chemistry experiments for the 36th annual 'Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakhashiri,' which will air on Wisconsin Public Television on Dec. 23 and Dec. 25.
The tradition of a Christmas lecture for kids goes back to the days of Michael Faraday, a noted English physicist and chemist. He knew that once a person was shown the wonders of nature, they were only a small step away from studying it.
The premise of these lectures has not changed much in the last 150 years.
The goal, according to Shakhashiri, is to 'really focus [the audience's] attention on how they make observations, make sense out of these observations and enjoy learning. Learning is a lot of fun ... we're talking about fun in the best sense of the word'we're not talking about cheap thrills here.'
And there was plenty of fun to be had. One crowd-pleasing demonstration got Bucky himself in on the action. The school's mascot, wearing oversized safety goggles, dumped dry ice into boiling water, resulting in a dense fog that spewed out into the audience.
The show ended with a bit of holiday cheer. In a reaction involving silver nitrate and ammonia, Shakhashiri mixed several colorless liquids together in a round flask. In a few moments, the audience gasped when the clear glass flask became coated with a reflective silver film.
'Doesn't it look like a holiday ornament'? Shakhashiri asked the audience, which responded with excited applause.
'This is my gift to the community,' Shakhashiri said. 'It's really a special privilege for me to be able to do it now for 36 years.'
