Learning physics doesn’t have to be daunting. All it takes is grabbing a beer and a slice of pizza and settling in for an evening of enlightenment and entertainment.
Tonight at 7 p.m., University physics senior instructor Stanley Micklavzina and his student assistant Ben Wright will perform 35 different physics demonstrations in two hours at this month’s Science Pub event at Cozmic Pizza.
The performance will incorporate Micklavzina’s passion for physics and performance into a show full of fun and interesting showings of the physics that most people take for granted.
“Physics is all around you; it’s always happening,” Micklavzina explained. “When somebody says they don’t understand physics, I say, ‘Well, you seem to walk just fine, so you have a very good understanding of physics, because when you’re walking down the street, there’s a lot of physics going on.’”
One highlight of the show is an informative revamping of Queen and David Bowie’s song “Under Pressure.” Micklavzina and Wright plan to perform 10 different air pressure demos all within the three-and-a-half-minute span of the 1980s hit.
Micklavzina has taught physics at the University for 25 years, ever since he got a job as a graduate student running the physics lecture demonstration room. His expertise has always been in physics demonstrations, and he is now internationally known for his demos, performing everywhere from the Oregon Country Fair to places such as Sweden, Italy, Slovenia and the Netherlands.
“I have a part of me that’s a ham. So I enjoy going in front of people and talking and I get a kick out of it. Had I been raised differently, I would have probably gone to the stage,” he said, smiling.
Micklavzina has three goals for his performances: He hopes to spark young people’s interest in science so they may consider studying it later, help the public understand the research going on at the University, and inform the community about current events related to science.
“To get knowledge and exposure out to the public is important … and if I spark even a small amount of interest in the shows, then hooray,” he said.
He has sparked an interest in at least one person. Wright, now a senior, was impressed after taking a class with Micklavzina during his freshman year.
“I wanted to know how he got to work in a room full of toys,” Wright remembered as he sat in the “room full of toys” and fidgeted with a switchboard.
Wright became a physics major and has worked in the demonstration lab for the past three years. He has assisted Micklavzina with his shows since then, as well.
“Pretty much all of the show is awesome. I’m pretty partial to anything that involves fire, but I also like the fog machine. I like shooting smoke rings at the crowd,” he said.
Amanda Thomas, founder of Science Pub and coordinator of adult programs at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, said she thought tonight’s performance would be a perfect example of what the Science Pub is all about.
“It’s an informal place for people to learn about science. The goal of the Science Pub is to bring science into a fun, exciting setting, give people a beer and show people that … scientific principles really do relate to their everyday lives,” she said.
Tonight’s show is open to all ages and will cover everything from basic light principles to the study of dark matter and x-ray crystallography.
“It’s going to be quite a wide spectrum of fun,” Micklavzina said.
Who: University senior physics instructor Stanley Micklavzina and University senior Ben Wright
What: “The Physics of What Surrounds You” Science Pub performance
When: 7 to 9 p.m. tonight
Where: Cozmic Pizza, 199 W. Eighth Ave.
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