Physics Students Present 13th Annual Halloween Pumpkin Drop
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 25, 2000
Ann Walker
530-898-4143
Physics Students Present 13th Annual Halloween Pumpkin Drop
The California State University, Chico Society of Physics Students (SPS) will hold its 13th annual pumpkin drop on Tuesday, Oct. 31, at noon on the south side of the Butte Hall roof.
The pumpkin drop will be a reenactment of Galileo Galilei’s historical experiment to prove his Law of Falling Bodies, which states “All objects, regardless of their masses, fall toward the earth at the same rate.”
Although it is uncertain whether this experiment was ever actually performed, legend has it that Galileo dropped a large and small ball from the top of the Tower of Pisa in the hopes that they would both hit the ground at the same time-and they did. In the spirit of Halloween, the SPS will simulate this experiment, and others, with pumpkins.
To prove this theory, Eric Edlund, executive vice president of SPS, will play Galileo, and Jon Eltgroth, vice president for communications of SPS, will dress as Aristotle, who would have been a skeptic had he been alive to see the experiment. As a special treat, the SPS will drop pumpkins in time to the cannon blasts of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.
Chico’s SPS has won 12 Outstanding Chapter awards from the national organization for its efforts in bringing science to the public in fun and exciting ways.
“We just hope to teach people a basic principle of physics and show that scientists are creative people with a sense of humor,” said David Kagan, Department of Physics chair.
###