Since 1946, the United Nations has tirelessly strived to preserve global peace, prosperity and justice for the benefit of all humankind.

Despite a few failures (the Cold War, the Middle East, AIDS, African genocide, nuclear proliferation) the eggshell blue of the U.N. has been to security what red, white and blue has been to freedom.

This year, these relentless champions of world unity have taken a bold move to promote a field of study that our universe cannot do without.

The U.N. has declared 2005 World Year of Physics. (Imagine hearing the “2001: Space Odyssey” drum beats or John Williams’ Olympics theme.)

That’s right, the U.N. is promoting an entire year of recognizing the power of physics.

It’s about time. Without physics you couldn’t stand. Without physics the world would crash into the sun. Without physics there would be no earth or sun. Thanks to physics, there’s a year in which to celebrate it.

An idea this good can’t be kept off the U campus. There will be physics film festivals (no physics, no films), lectures (no physics, no sound waves) and even an Albert Einstein look-alike contest (no Albert, no Theory of Relativity-which celebrates its 100 anniversary this year).

Observance of World Physics Year at the U will doubtlessly be a good time. While you may not have enjoyed your bald, anal and senile high school physics teacher with a nasal voice, there’s nothing dull about the U getting down with physics.

The events are being planned with the student body in mind and should be very accessible to the average Joe (or Pam). The film festival will feature serious educational documentaries as well as fun flirtations with physics in a darkened theater such as, “Planet of the Apes,” “Dr. Strangelove” and “The Empire Strikes Back.”

It’s been said imitation is the truest form of flattery, (which does not work to avoid being expelled for plagiarism), so what better way to honor Einstein then to dress up like him?

Be sure not to miss the look-alike contest and remind anyone you know with crazy hair to start growing out a ‘stache and keep his or her eye out for white hair dye.

If you can’t make any of the events-and do try-honor physics your own way by rolling a ball down a hill, burning a CD or pondering the wonders of radiation therapy in killing cancer.

Science and the technology it creates has been improving and saving lives for thousands of years. Let’s all participate in the U’s observance of just one year to say, “Thank you physics.”