WKU News

The WKU Department of Physics & Astronomy will host “A Nightmare on Physics Avenue” from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. October 29 in Kelly Thompson Hall on the WKU campus (next to the Hardin Planetarium). Free for the public, this event will feature Halloween-themed science activities and demonstrations, as well as a Trunk-or-Treat event in a nearby parking lot.

The Trunk-or-Treat event begins at 5:30 p.m. and extends to 6 p.m. in College Hill Lot, across the street from Cherry Hall. Wrapped candies will be provided by the Physics & Astronomy Department; guests are also welcome to offer treats from their car trunks. Visitors not intending to join the Trunk-or-Treat are asked to park in the nearby Hub Lot if arriving before 6 p.m.

The “Nightmare on Physics Avenue” activities begin at 6 p.m. at the entrance to Kelly Thompson Hall, allowing guests to walk up and through the second floor, experiencing many physics-based thrills centered on Halloween scares. Physics students and instructors will explain the underlying science of how these work, and there will be a hands-on activity with token prizes for correct entries. This event continues until 8:30 p.m.

Professor of Physics (and Crypt Master) Dr. Gordon Emslie explained: “There will be surprises and delights, and spooks around every corner. We have hair-raising--literally--machines that Dr. Frankenstein wished he had.”

Emslie added: "We want to emphasize Halloween, so we will be in costume, and we hope many of our guests will come dressed for fun. We also expect most of our guests to be in elementary or middle school, but this should be fun for the parents and for university students as well.”

Hardin Planetarium will also host a free, public planetarium show at 7 p.m. The show, titled “When the Universe Was Young,” explores how it is possible to see what the universe looked like billions of years ago. The planetarium show ends at 7:50.

The “Nightmare on Physics Avenue” event is sponsored by the Society of Physics Students, the Hilltopper Astronomy Club, and Women in Physics.

Details for the event can be found at the website for the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Photo provided by: Elena Ley