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Shakhashiri ignites public’s love of science

This weekend, people of all ages will be amazed and astounded by the wonders of science at University of Wisconsin chemistry professor Bassam Shakhashiri's annual "Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakhashiri."

This Saturday marks the 38th performance of this world-renowned chemistry demonstration.

"The idea came from the tradition of the great British scientist Michael Faraday, who held an annual public lecture around Christmas. … It has nothing to do with Christmas; it's just the time it's done," Shakhashiri said in a phone interview with The Badger Herald.

"Christmas Cheery" began as a review session before finals for Shakhashiri's chemistry students. However, the event's whimsical interpretation of the world of science led to a steadily growing fan base. Since its beginning nearly four decades ago, yearly performances have been added, including demonstrations at the Smithsonian Institution and four other continents.

"The goal is to improve the quality of science literacy. It's a fun lecture, with lots of experiments. … It's a community event. Some people who came to the lectures years ago now bring their kids," Shakhashiri said.

At Saturday's event, audience members can look forward to explosions and other astonishing chemical effects, but it's not just about the oohs and aahs.

"By fun, I’m not talking about cheap thrills. I mean the fun of discovery — a pursuit that entails the spending of time and doesn’t offer instant gratification. The key in presenting scientific ideas is winning the engagement of the onlooker or reader," Shakhashiri said in a 1997 interview with The New York Times.

If tradition holds, strontium (the 38th element), will be highlighted at the 38th annual demonstration. Strontium is a silvery-white colored alkaline earth metal that ignites instantly on contact with air with a brilliant red flame. The element is commonly used to produce glass for cathode-ray television tubes and in red fireworks. Because of strontium's ability to produce these colorful effects, "Christmas Cheery" attendees can anticipate impressive flame demonstrations.

The program's success isn't only due to its ability to dazzle viewers; Shakhashiri's near-celebrity status also draws revelers. To date, Shakhashiri has been given more than 35 awards for his innovation in science and teaching, as well as his outreach to the community. Recognizing chemistry is sometimes perceived as dry, Shakhashiri tries to make the subject more interesting by involving students of all ages using demonstrations and experiments.

Shakhashiri's chemistry students report that lively experiments are a common occurrence in his classes.

"Every lecture, Dr. Shak manages to relate the topic to some sort of explosive element, resulting in a loud bang and the attention of all the students," said Anna Sloman, a freshman in Shakhashiri's Chemistry 103 class.

Still, there should be a few surprises in store for lecture visitors this weekend, Shakhashiri said.

"We have a lot of special guests," he said. "Bucky Badger will be there; he's been to the lecture all 38 years."

Tickets are no longer available for the highly sought-after  performances Dec. 1 and 2. However, they will be televised on Wisconsin Public Television Dec. 21-25 and Dec. 28 and 31.

 
More information and complete broadcast times for "Christmas Cheery" can be found at Shakhashiri's website, scifun.org.

 — Tim Williams contributed to this report.