Photo: A picture of a pumpkin falling to the ground during BU's annual Pumpkin Drop
October 31, 2024
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World- (or at Least BU-) Famous Pumpkin Drop

Each year the BU physics department draws scores of people to its iconic late fall Pumpkin Drop. On October 30, more than 30 pumpkins filled with gooey substances were dropped from the Metcalf Science Center roof to the plaza 70 feet below. But that’s not all: there was a costume contest, a chance to win a prize for guessing the correct weight of the giant pumpkin dropped, and cider and fall treats served. The annual event provides lessons in gravitation, velocity, and energy transition, from potential to kinetic to explosion, and physics students perform physics demos before and after the pumpkins meet their fate. Photo by Jackie Ricciardi