SW New Mexico News

New Mexico State University (NMSU) is hosting its annual "Physics Fun Day" on Friday, April 4th, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Gardiner Hall. The event, organized by the Physics Graduate Student Organization (PGSO), is open to the public and offers free admission.

Prakash Timsina, president of PGSO, emphasized the event's goal: “We aim to make physics both fun and accessible for everyone.” Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in various physics demonstrations and experiments. Highlights include creating liquid nitrogen ice cream and exploring magnetism.

This year's event features a superconducting magnetic levitation demonstration with larger magnets cooled by liquid nitrogen, allowing them to repel magnetic fields. Other new demonstrations include an electron gun that can activate lightbulbs from a distance and an infrared camera showing materials invisible to visible light.

Michael Engelhardt, NMSU physics professor and PGSO advisor, stated: "'Physics Fun Day' creates an exciting environment for people of all ages to explore the wonders of physics through hands-on experiments." The event aims to engage young people in science through interactive experiences.

The day will also feature a Rubik’s Cube challenge with prizes, giveaways like Einstein figurines and PGSO-branded stickers, and participation from graduate student organizations across other departments showcasing their own science demonstrations.

Melinda Cuilty, NMSU enterprise instructional technology administrator, has organized virtual reality demonstrations as part of the event. These will allow participants to explore diverse scientific concepts like the solar system or atoms’ microscopic world.

Stefan Zollner, physics professor and department head at NMSU, noted: “’Physics Fun Day’ is not just a chance to engage with science but an opportunity to foster collaboration between students and the local community.”

Timsina highlighted the importance of engaging younger generations in STEM fields through such events: “By engaging with younger students, we help spark an early interest in STEM fields.”

Additionally, Timsina mentioned that organizing this event provides valuable experience for graduate students in areas such as science communication and leadership: “It’s incredibly rewarding to inspire the next generation of scientists.”