The Columbia course “Foundations of Science" is all about understanding the building blocks of the universe — energy, matter, cells, and genes in the context of astronomy, biology, chemistry, and physics. No one expected a crash course in Star Wars.
This summer, the undergraduate course was offered in an accelerated format during Columbia Summer Session. After a deep dive into the mathematical calculations for Space/Time, Lecturer in the Discipline of Physics Klejda Bega took her students on a field trip to MoMath, the National Museum of Mathematics, to see the fun side of physics in action.
Michael Atlas Sanchez (GS’27), an Anthropology/Political Science double major from Colorado Springs, couldn’t believe what happened next.
“We were gathered around giving our reflections when I noticed Mark Hamill walk in,” Sanchez said. “I immediately recognized him and kept trying to get people to look where I was pointing.
“Eventually, I was forced to interrupt Dr. Bega to inform her that Luke Skywalker was standing 10 feet away.”
The storied actor was enjoying himself at the museum, looking at a giant floor puzzle, but still graciously came over to take a photo with the class when he found out they were from Columbia.
Just before the shutter clicked, he jokingly quipped, “Say Star Trek.”
While the encounter only lasted a few minutes, it was a true “Columbia University in the City of New York” moment and left a lasting impression.
As Dr. Bega said afterward, “I don’t think we can top that.”
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