May 27 2010
The popular physics and laser show in Lund has been performed just over 1 100 times for more than 220 000 people over the 15 years of its existence. Now it is going on a long-distance trip to the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.
Thunder and lightning at the University’s physics and laser show.
The man behind the show, physicist Per-Olof Zetterberg, together with seven colleagues, will give a number of shows during the science and technology week organised by the European Commission from 14 to 19 June.
"We are the single largest item on the programme during the week and will also give evening performances on both the Friday and the Saturday", says Per-Olof Zetterberg.
The physics and laser show will be held in a gigantic lecture hall that holds an audience of 800.
Fudan University in Shanghai will help the Swedish physicists procure certain chemicals, gases and liquid nitrogen that are needed for the performances - ingredients that cannot be taken on the plane to China. However, the rest of the equipment is transported to the World Expo from Lund, all three tons of it.
The European Commission is paying the majority of the trip for both equipment and researchers. The European Commission's great interest in the physics and laser show stems from a performance a few years ago at a conference in Copenhagen, when a man from the Commission was in the audience. He was clearly impressed by what he saw.