The Man Behind the Scenes At the Science Center

In the bowels of the Science Center is a huge dark room filled with bizarre maniacal constructions straight out of old black and white science fiction movies.

But this isn't fiction.

This is Wolfgang H. Rueckner's domain.

For the last 13 years, Rueckner, a wiry, youthful-looking bearded man, has managed the Lecture Demonstration Services in the Science Center. Translation: if there is a demonstration in the Science Center, he is responsible for it.

"Wolf," as his box in the Prep Room is labelled, is a man with a Ph.D. in experimental and atomic physics from Brandeis University. As might be guessed, Rueckner was born in Germany. The greater of his years, however, were spent growing up in Springfield, Vt.

The bizarre room, dark because no one has bothered to change the light bulbs, is full of more than 600 demonstrations that Rueckner and his staff assemble and prepare for professors at the drop of a hat. Every year, Rueckner and his team of three full-time assistant scientists -- two physicists and a chemist -- concoct and build a dozen or so original demonstrations, which are eventually stored here. Aside from these tried and true experiments, Wolf says that when a professor has a specific wish, "we see what we can do."

Caged Profs and Other Fun Stuff

Walking among the disassembled demonstrations, Rueckner's serious academic air gives way to the enthusiasm of a kid at show and tell.

Center stage in his prep room is one of his more interesting "toys." The structure looks like, well, a giant bird cage with a chair for a professor in it. Electrical current is run through the ungrounded cage. Sparks flying, the professor, unharmed, is able to lecture from within. Sound like fun?

Other popular toys include not one, but two homemade rocket cars powered by carbon dioxide fire extinguishers to illustrate Newton's Third Law. Donning crash helmets, aviator scarves and goggles, the professors pilot the rockets across the stage of a Science Center lecture hall, while offstage, Rueckner and his troupe simulate a crash.

The 'shoot the monkey' demonstration of gravity with a cannon and a Curious George also wins rave reviews, says Rueckner. In this one, George is dropped from his high perch at the same time that a cannon, aimed right at him, is fired. Gravity eventually does poor George in, bringing the cannon ball down just enough to still hit him.

Though beyond this author's meager comprehension, another of Rueckner's popular demonstration--this one for quantum physics classes--illustrates how light interference patterns occur, even when "particles" of light are sent though double slits, one by one. It might not mean much to most, but to physics fiends, its a blast.

Like the rocket car demonstration, many of the experiments feature the professors as the stars. Another, in which the professor inhales sulfur hexaflouride, transforms the professor's voice to that of Darth Vader's. Don't try this one at home.

Stagefright

Is it frustrating for those who are the brains behind the concoctions to watch the professors steal all their glory? David J. Tavilla, one of the physicists on Rueckner's team, says no, not at all. His reason is a simple one: stagefright.

Tavilla recalls one time, however, when he was forced on stage. The glass in a resonance experiment, he says, just wouldn't break, like it was supposed to. A fuse was blown and he had to readjust the instruments, in front of the 500 person class.

"It's nervewracking to act in front of all those students," Travilla says. "I like it better behind the scenes."

Tavilla adds, however, that "Even though we're behind the scenes, students realize we're back there. They see us running around before class."

Being behind the scenes is also rewarding because he gets to work with Rueckner, Tavilla says.

"He's great to work with." A good boss, "he knows when to step in and when to let me tackle a challenge alone," Tavilla says.

Even better, the atmosphere amongst the team is one of humor and plenty of jokes, Tavilla adds. Science jokes, most likely.

Bigger is Better

While many scientific demonstrations can be bought pre-packaged, because most of the packages are designed for classrooms of 20 to 30 people, compared to the close to 500 that the Science Center lecture halls hold, Rueckner and his staff build 95 percent of the experiments themselves.

"We like to make them BIG," says Rueckner, adding, "A degree of showmanship makes [the demonstrations] memorable."

For the most advanced classes, demonstrations become more difficult. "There is much you can't drag into the hall for show and tell. But, those [most advanced] courses aren't taught in the Science Center, so it doesn't matter," he says.

When increasing size is not feasible, Rueckner sometimes spices the experiments up in other ways. For the shattering wine glass demonstration of resonance, the motion is slowed down with a stoboscope. The team can also use video cameras. In either case, says Rueckner, grinning, "It's really impressive how much glass can flex."

Education First

Though they are fun, Rueckner explains that lecture demonstrations "really help the education process."

"Of hundreds of lectures I've seen, the ones that had demonstrations are the ones that I remember," he says. "The principles from the others I have forgotten."

"Harvard is unique in its emphasis and appreciation of lecture demonstration," adds Rueckner. And he lights up and smiles when he notes that, over his tenure in the Harvard demonstrations arena, the program has "really evolved into a much larger and more complex organization."

The more experiments they have been able to provide, the more demand for them has grown, he says. The reason for this is that the professors Reuckner deals with are astutely aware of what demonstrations he is doing for other classes. "They don't want to be outdone by anyone," says Rueckner.

In addition to the competitiveness, "there is an appreciation by the faculty to have fun with these things," adds Rueckner.

Rueckner adds that another aspect of the field which he enjoys is the collaboration with the faculty and staff of different schools.

Wondering where you can take a class with this cool guy? Fret not. Rueckner is a teaching assistant for Science A-26, "Waves, Particles, and the Structure of Matter." He is also in charge of facilitating the hands-on laboratory experiments conducted in the Science Center, though he gets help from four technicians in the daily running of the labs.

Does he want to focus more of his energies on teaching? Not really. Rueckner says, "What I'm doing now is exciting enough and very challenging. I like to tinker and come up with new ideas."

Spaced Out

Time, money and space are the most formidable challenges to Rueckner's work now.

Rueckner's Prep Room is overflowing with electrical cords, video equipment, desks and 52 gallon drums, among other things.

Originally, the room was designed for the assembly and preparation of experiments for the lecture halls, a waiting room of sorts for a scientists' toys.

Now the room is where much is stored and many work. Demonstrations and experiments are often though of and constructed there as well.

"Over the years, we have outgrown our space. Working is next to impossible," says Rueckner. Soon they will take over some space from the Science Center machine shop and reorganize storage, he says.

"The hope is to create a better work environment for development work," he says.

Space is not his only problem. Another, Reuckner says, is money. While the Advanced Physics Labs are in the process of being upgraded with a $300,000 grant from the Shell Oil company, the demonstration budget has remained relatively constant, says Rueckner.

Because Rueckner is so busy with the renovations of the labs and demonstration space, he has little time for as much scientific research as he has done at other times. A few years ago, Rueckner worked at duplicating cold fusion for six months.

For now, Rueckner says he looks forward to getting back to the world of creation and ideas, opposed to the more bureaucratic tasks with which he has recently been consumed. The rest of the science world awaits while they wonder, what will "Wolf" come up with next?