The History Of Wonder Shows : Science On Stage

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Imagine a lady lighting light bulbs with the touch of her finger, liquids magically changing color then going clear, or a little girl lifting a box to heavy for a healthy man to lift. These and other wild schemes were part of the repertoire of showmen who traveled from city to city, making presentations that blended science with myth and magic.

In the 1800's, Wonder Shows toured the country. New technology and scientific discoveries were presented as marvels to the unknowing. Wonder Shows were presented by traveling magicians, inventors, popular science lecturers, and other presenters of "miracle science" who revealed science and technology to the public in awe-inspiring fashion.

A wide variety of educaters and entertainers were drawn to this mixture of science and entertainment, including electrical "wizards" Nikola Tesla and Thomas Alva Edison, vaudeville performers such as Harry Houdini, mind readers, UFO cultists, and practitioners of New Age science. All of these performers developed strategies for invoking cultural authority to back their visions of science and progress. The pseudo-science in their wonder shows helped promote a romantic worldview that called into question the absolute authority of scientific materialism while reaffirming the importance of human spirituality.

Although most recent defenders of science are prone to reject wonder, considering it an ally of ignorance and superstition, the history of these Wonder Shows illustrates the public's passion for magic and meaning. This passion is still very much alive.

Educator and author, Dr. Dennis Regling has brought the magic of these Wonder Shows into elementary schools throughout the East and Midwest with his "Magic of Science" school assembly programs. School children love the visual effects and the science taught in these programs is remembered long after the performance. Exciting demonstrations of Chemistry, Physics, Electricity, and more draw student and teacher alike into the world of wonder.
Wonder shows were a great entertainment draw in the 1800's. Today, they are being brought back as a powerful teaching tool. One thing never changes, though. Science and all its marvels are a delight ot discover.


About the Author:
For more information, go to: Dennis Regling's Wonder Shows

Educator and author, Dr. Dennis Regling has brought the magic of these Wonder Shows into elementary schools throughout the East and Midwest with his "Magic of Science" school assembly programs.



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