I was looking for something to do with my 11 year old nephew this week and found the perfect attraction: The Museum of Science was showing the IMAX film Tornado Alley in their Omni Mugar Theater. Matthew (my nephew) and I are amateur weather buffs. We get excited when a big storm is brewing. If there is a storm chaser show on TV then you can bet we've watched it a few times. Yup, we know all about the Vortex 2 and TIV (tornado intercept vehicle).
So today Matt and I headed to the Science Museum via the T. The place was crawling with kids because it's school vacation week. We didn't have too much trouble moving around though because we were there just to see the film. I hadn't been to the Omni Theater in years and I forgot how impressive it is. It's kind of like sitting in a bubble that's five stories tall. Once the sound kicks in you become completely immersed in the show. The film itself was quite thrilling. Tornado Alley isn't just about twisters touching down but about the science involved in tracking these storms. The film allows the viewer to see how a tornado begins and ends. One second we're staring at clear blue skies and the next second the landscape becomes dark and menacing. You can practically feel the winds pick up and I almost expected hail to start pounding the theater's roof. The film also shows the utter devastation a tornado leaves in it's wake. It made me feel very thankful that tornadoes are rare in New England. When the movie ended Matt pretty much summed it up saying, "That was awesome!" I would have to agree.
http://www.mos.org/
Visit the American Red Cross website for information about how you can assist the victims of the recent tornadoes in the South.
http://www.redcross.org/
