Wild flames, loud explosions, dancers and a roaring audience set the scene at chemistry lecturer Eberhard Zwergel’s popular annual Halloween chemistry show on Friday.
The Northwestern instructor, whom students know as “Eberhard,” performed the show four times to a packed lecture room in the Technological Institute. The audience included both NU students and members of the Evanston community. What used to be an open show has become so popular that this year audience members needed tickets to get in.
This year’s theme, “Rocky Horror Chemistry Show,” was complete with balloons, spotlights, lots of chemicals, cheerleaders and three bands. Eberhard, in his ‘mad scientist’ hair, was assisted by chemistry professor Shelby Hatch and a group of graduate students.
The show began with bursting Halloween-colored flames and tap dancers on a table of popping chemicals. Next, a few graduate students performed an oscillating reaction in which a liquid in a cylindrical container transformed between blue and clear.
When Eberhard put a burning match in a jar, it went out in a whirl of blue gas, causing the audience to clap and cheer. After demonstrations of root beer float sparklers and flammable soap water, two dance teams performed and a band played to Eberhard, presenting ‘Blueberry Hill,’ a round flask containing fluorescent blue liquid.
“It’s all really awesome and it’s cool to see chemistry in action,” said McCormick junior Wesley Sutton, who has attended or played in the band during Eberhard’s last three years of performances. “You’re seeing what you learn in chemistry and you’re seeing the application of techniques from the textbook.”
The show ended with loud chemical reactions as the band played a grand finale piece.
Eberhard waved a flaming torch and popped balloons one at a time. The chemical-filled balloons got louder with each pop. At the final balloon, the audience sat in suspense as Eberhard waved the torch, and when the flame and the balloon finally touched, it produced an explosion felt around the lecture hall.
“Definitely a great buildup for a great ending,” McCormick freshman Jolo Aguilar said. “The best part was definitely the grand finale. …You wouldn’t do anything like this normally in a lab and I am definitely more interested in chemistry now.”
Eberhard said his favorite parts of the show were the student performances in between the reactions, including the cheerleaders and dance groups.
“I wish I could sit and watch sometimes… but somebody must put on a show,” he said.
In addition to the Halloween show, Eberhard puts on another performance in the spring with the Undergraduate Chemistry Council. The show on North Beach is free and open to the public.
Before the grand finale, Eberhard also proved he could put on a show in more than one way and joined one of the performing bands to sing a short song.
“This song is about how I’m feeling because I can do something that makes you all happy and I can tell you all like it very much,” he told the audience. “And this makes me very happy also.”
