SPS brings physics and people together in haunted labs
In the spirit of Halloween, USU’s Society of Physics Students (SPS) had a physics professor lay on a bed of nails and smashed a cinderblock on top of him during Friday’s Haunted Labs in the SER building.
This was just one of the many laws of physics demonstrated in the Haunted Labs. Kenneth Bennion, a junior majoring in science and math education, said unlike lying on one nail, lying on rows and rows of nails will “balance out” and prevent any of the nails from puncturing the skin. After the professor lay down on the nails, another square piece of wood covered with evenly spaced nails was put on his stomach. On top of that piece of wood was a cinder block, and one of the SPS members raised a mallet and smashed the cinder block. The nails did not injure the professor.
“If I were to step on you with a tennis shoe it would hurt a lot less than if someone stepped on you with a high heel, because there are so many points of pressure,” Bennion said.
It was the first annual Haunted Labs at USU, and curious attendees came steadily throughout the night. USU’s new green laser beam was cast into the sky, marking the student-organized labs from the top of the SER building, and could be seen from most areas of Logan. The theme of the haunted labs involved a meteor landing in Logan, creating radioactive matter to warp the scientists’ brains.
Physics could be seen at work from the beginning when attendees were waiting in line to purchase a ticket. Plasma domes and fluorescent lighting lined the walkway to the ticket sales and into the lab. Bennion played actual footage and sound that a USU professor recorded of space matter hurtling through the sky.
“Some people don’t do The Howl thing,” Bennion said, “We’re just trying to give people more options during Halloween.”
A crew of approximately 40 students spent the afternoon transforming the SER building Friday, including Shea Durfee, a freshman majoring in geology. He said he was amazed how much the group was able to accomplish in a short period, considering classes were held in the building that morning.Throughout the three floors, optical illusions through reflections and refractions were set up as well as examples of trajectory. Durfee was positioned to scare anyone who crossed his path, and said he got great reactions.
“I was impressed with the costumes,” said Jarren Jenkins, a junior in finance and economics. “The zombies and mutant scientists really played their parts well.”
Shane McGuire, who also attended the Haunted Labs, said he became most afraid when he entered into a hallway that was pitch black, covered entirely with black tarps so no light was seen.
“We want to bring science and the people together,” said Linsey Johnson, president of SPS. “So, first we make science fun and make the people want to have their questions answered.”
Johnson said it is helpful for physicists to teach through the social interaction that the Haunted Labs provided, because some physicists are hired into jobs where they must translate ground-breaking physics research to the public.
All of the profit made will go toward buying equipment for SPS’s elementary school demonstrations because they are currently borrowing most of it from the physics department. Johnson sad she would like to get equipment to teach angular momentum, which requires a spinning stool and weights. The leader of the physics demonstration will have an elementary student sit on the stool and hold out their arms while gripping the weights. While the stool spins the student is told to bring their arms close to their body, and this increases the momentum of the stool.
Many families attended the Haunted Labs, and Bennion said he wants to encourage more to become interested in science-related events, the same way a family may be interested in a music performance.
Johnson said these types of events are good for both the scientist and the curious attendee.
“Physicists have this attitude so they don’t interact with the public, so this is the perfect way for them to share their knowledge,” Johnson said.
– catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu