Blinded with science

Lynda Williams' mission is to make it easy to look at science.

Her flashy costumes, wild headdresses, clever songs and "Physics Chanteuse" persona make it easy.

Williams brings her "Cosmic Cabaret" to Modesto Junior College on Feb. 5. Behind the entertainment is a credible and credentialed background in science.

"Science is a way of looking at the world," said the California State University, San Francisco physics professor. "I'm looking at the world and I'm singing about it."

That's right, Williams sings about the Big Bang, black holes, chaos theory and other subjects most often found in mathematics-laden textbooks. She does it cabaret style.

"First and foremost, I'm really an entertainer at heart," said Williams, who sings and dances at Bay Area venues and scientific conventions. "But I just happen to think that astronomy and cosmology and physics and biology are really interesting and worthy of having songs sung about them. There's enough people singing about love and sex and drugs.

"In my shows and songs, I present the most fantastic and complex ideas in science in an accessible and entertaining way.

The free show is sponsored by Modesto Area Partners in Science, an organization that promotes science literacy in the Central Valley.

"Most people don't know what science is about," said Williams, 36, who has been written up in People magazine, the Los Angeles Times, New York Times and has appeared on numerous television shows. "They think it's really tedious and boring and geeky."

Not Williams' show. Before becoming a professor, she worked as a go-go dancer.

"I've been performing since '87," she said. "And all my performances have always been musical. I've always had science in my shows."

But for a long time her shows dealt mostly with science-fiction, such as linking go-go and time travel.

"It's only in the last two years that I've been doing more hard-core science content," she said.

Williams' wrote all the songs in her repertoire, which includes, "From the Big Bang to Today in 90 Seconds," "Love Boson," "Hi Tech Girl" and "Carbon is a Girl's Best Friend."

Her costumes are as eccentric as the music.

"I do a couple costume changes, from the cabaret elegant to the futuristic millennium wear," she said.

While she's changing her costumes, sidekick Joel Martin Kohn steps onstage to fill the void. Playing a computer keyboard slung from his neck like an electric guitar, techno-comic Kohn becomes high-tech problem-solver Joe Gizmo.

"It's pretty much for all ages," Williams said. "I've had kids as young as infants as my audience."

Lynda Williams performs at 7:30 p.m. in MJC's Forum Building, room 110.