Purdue News
Purdue News
NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: A photograph of Paul Smith dressed as Michael Faraday is available from Smith at (317) 494-5307.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue University's Department of Chemistry will use special effects and demonstrations to bring a famous scientist "back to the future" during two chemistry shows Saturday, Oct. 26, on the Purdue campus.
The one-hour shows, called "Back to the Future With Michael Faraday," will be at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. in Room 200 of Wetherill Laboratory of Chemistry.
The free demonstrations are aimed at children and adults and are open to the public.
During the show, Derek Davenport, professor emeritus of chemistry, will use slides to give a brief biographical sketch of Michael Faraday, a chemist and physicist best known for his work with electricity and magnetism.
Paul Smith, lecture demonstration director for Purdue's Department of Chemistry, will portray Faraday throughout the show. He will make his entrance using special effects such as light and smoke to simulate the arrival of a time machine, similar to the one used by Professor Emmett Brown in the movie "Back to the Future."
Faraday will return from October 1848 to illustrate a presentation he developed for a Christmas lecture series that year. The lecture series, "The Chemical History of a Candle," is internationally famous and is required reading for school children in some countries.
"The demonstrations can be described as simple yet elegant," Smith said. "Candles will be central to the demonstrations, along with Faraday's observations on gases involved in combustion reactions."
To conclude the show, Smith will explain how to use a take-home demonstration that will be provided free to all children at the show.
For more information, call Smith at (317) 494-5307.
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