Skateboarding physicists and a basketball cannon will be two highlights of the Nov. 18 CU Wizards show on "The Physics of Sports" at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Physics professors Deborah Jin and John Bohn will present the show at 9:30 a.m. in the Muezinger Psychology auditorium, room E050. It is free and open to the public.
During the show the audience will learn how physics is involved in sports including baseball, basketball, golf and gymnastics. Audience members will participate in lessons in how to throw a curve ball, launch a golf ball and bounce, spin and tumble like a gymnast.
Jin was the winner of a 2003 MacArthur Fellowship, commonly known as the
"genius grant." In January 2004, Jin and her research group created a new form of matter called a "fermionic condensate." Physicists hope that further research with such condensates will help unlock the mysteries of high-temperature superconductivity, a phenomenon with the potential to improve energy efficiency dramatically across a broad range of applications.
The CU Wizards series runs from September to June and features presentations on astronomy, chemistry and physics. Though intended primarily for students in grades five through nine, the Saturday shows are educational and entertaining to people of any age.
For more information about CU Wizards call (303) 492-5011 or for a schedule of upcoming shows visit .