KNOXVILLE – Al Hazari has picked up his tie-dyed lab coat from the dry cleaners. This can only mean one thing—the “Magic of Chemistry Show” is just around the corner.
Always wearing his colorful coat, the director of labs and chemistry lecturer at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been wowing audiences for twenty-one years.
The “Magic of Chemistry Show” is 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 18, in 555 Dabney-Buehler Hall. The one-hour show is free and open to everyone of all ages. Parking is available in the University Center parking garage for a fee.
Hazari’s exciting and often explosive demonstrations entertain and educate by unraveling the mystery of how everyday substances work.
“It is fun to share,” said Hazari. “It is great to excite people about learning and life. This brings science home to them. I hope the show makes people—young and old—curious about the world around them and gets them interested in science.”
The show is part of National Chemistry Week (NCW). In keeping with this year’s theme, “Chemistry—Our Health, Our Future,” Hazari will weave health-related experiments— such as concocting toothpaste fit for an elephant—together with his fan favorites of creating a liquid, bubbling rainbow inside a glass cylinder, and transforming bubbles into floating balls of fire.
Spectators are asked to donate a bar of soap for those in need in East Tennessee.
Hazari has dedicated much of his life to educating the public about the wonders and power of chemistry. Year-round, he can be found performing chemistry outreach programs in schools, museums, public libraries, assisted-living centers, and even at the grocery store. He is the 2000 winner of the Helen M. Free Award for Public Outreach from the American Chemistry Society (ACS) and author of the book “Misconceptions in Chemistry,” which helps tackle many of the myths surrounding chemistry in our everyday lives.
NCW is a community-based annual event that unites local ACS sections, businesses, schools, and individuals in communicating the importance of chemistry for the quality of life. For more information about NCW, visit http://www.acs.org/ncw.
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C O N T A C T :
Whitney Heins (865-974-5460, wheins@utk.edu)