2:00 p.m.

Displays of physics projects. By Edgewood students ranging from grade school to high school to college. Sonderegger Science Center, Interactive Science Education Exhibit Center.

These displays by students from all educational levels, from grade school to college, include: Einstein and the photoelectric effect, Michael Faraday, Benjamin Franklin, the atomic clock, Rutherford, black holes, time travel and the speed of light, tsunamis, car engines, lasers, hydrogen fuel cells, stealth technology, aviation, rocketing, citrus batteries, string theory, nuclear reactors, the Big Bang, and more.

3:15 p.m.

“Einstein Revealed.” NOVA documentary film. Sonderegger Science Center 108.

We all know Albert Einstein as the sprightly old sage with unruly hair. But now, from the pages of his private notebooks and letters, a surprising new picture emerges: the physicist as a passionate young man. Little-known details of his romantic life, including the birth of a daughter he would never see, come to light through “interviews” with Einstein (wittily portrayed by Andrew Sachs of Fawlty Towers) as well as insight from prominent scholars. Through Einstein’s own words, learn how—after using his wife, Mileva, as a sounding board for his early theories—the young patent clerk abandons “the unpredictability of human relations.” Follow his ferocious quest to “glimpse the order that lies hidden in nature,”—a search that catapults him to the forefront of modern physics, but at great personal cost. Journey into the mind of a genius and, with the help of computer animation, visualize the thought experiments Einstein could only imagine: mind-boggling meditations on light, time, and space that would forever change the way we view the universe. Narrated by F. Murray Abraham.

9:00 a.m.
 

9:45 a.m.

“Ripples in Space-Time: Einstein’s Outstanding Prediction.” Public lecture by Patrick Brady, professor of physics, UW-Milwaukee. Welcome by Carol Cohen, associate academic dean, Edgewood College. Introduction by Subhash Antani, professor of natural science, Edgewood College. Sonderegger Science Center 108.

In 1905 Einstein revolutionized our understanding of physics, from atoms to space and time. Ten years later he did it again when he introduced General Relativity—his theory of gravity. One prediction of General Relativity is that light rays bend around heavy objects. The observation of this effect during the solar eclipse of 1919 was widely accepted as confirmation of the theory. Another prediction of General Relativity is the existence of gravitational waves—ripples in the fabric of space-time itself. The direct observation of gravitational waves remains elusive. However physicists believe that powerful new instruments will soon allow us to probe the realm of Einstein’s only remaining prediction. Gravitational waves, once observed, will bring us information about supernovae, black holes, and pulsars from the far reaches of the universe. Come hear one physicist’s musings on Einstein, black holes, and gravitational waves.

11:00 a.m.

“Wonders Of Physics.” Live show with demonstrations by James Reardon, professor of physics, UW-Madison. Predolin Humanities Center, Anderson Auditorium.

Never has there been a time when an understanding of science has been more important to the well-being of individuals and the planet than the present. Yet many recent studies have documented a lack of interest in science and hence a decline in science literacy in the United States. The Wonders of Physics show is designed for the general public, where people of all ages can participate and truly enjoy the wonders of physics. It promises to be entertaining, engaging, and an educational presentation of the basic principles of physics using many demonstrations from the Department of Physics at the UW–Madison.