“Look to the Stars” – an episode starring Case’s first Physics Professor – Albert A. Michelson

Date: Thu. August 29th, 2013, 4:15 pm-5:15 pm
Location: Rockefeller 301

The semester’s first colloquium will be somewhat out of the ordinary – a screening of an old TV episode. The highly popular and long-running series Bonanza was a staple of American television from the late 1950s until the early 1970s, and continues in syndication. The series often tackled difficult and highly charged cultural themes. Here, a 1962 episode centers on high school-aged and Case-physics-professor-to-be Albert Michelson’s dealings with science, education, and bigotry in the Old West. The show’s science and history may be somewhat dubious, but it provides an interesting and amusing insight into late 19th century frontier culture and a connection with our own department. Surprise refreshments!