50 speakers in the Omni Theater are driven by 24,000 watts of power.
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY AGAIN PUTTING
GUESTS IN RISKY SITUATIONS IN RISK! EXHIBITION
May 5 – Sept. 3, 2012
Why would the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History put its visitors at risk? For the sheer fun of it, of course! Risk!, developed by the Museum, will return to Fort Worth for the spring and summer beginning Saturday, May 5, 2012. The exhibit offers a playful and informative look at risk and risk assessment.
The 5000-square foot exhibit presents some extraordinary, eye-opening situations that emphasize our perception or misperception of risk. Imagine crossing a 7” wide steel beam 17 stories above the ground. A little risky? Now add wind, blaring construction noises, and a noisy flock of birds flying by. Would you go forward or slowly skirt around the perimeter of the structure? Or would you avoid even taking the first step? Find out in your introduction to the Risk! exhibit -- the Beam Walk!
Math, science, and probability can play a significant role in risk assessment. This is best illustrated in the Bed of Nails where you can discover that lying on thousands of nails may not be the sticky situation you expected! As you lie on the Plexiglas bed, a geared system slowly raises nails through the bed, lifting you, too. Will you escape harm or be punctured like a pincushion? Physics can provide the answer!
Ball of Danger combines probability concepts with non-quantitative factors like emotion and intuition. Two containers filled with red and white balls are presented, the red balls representing poison. One contains 100 balls – 91 white, nine red. The second container has ten balls – nine white and one red. Can you tell which container is most dangerous? Other hands-on exhibits in the Gambling and Probability Area further illustrate probability with coin flipping, dice tossing, and visual examples of the odds.
Risk! Cinema presents engaging and powerful taped interviews with Mt. Everest survivor Beck Weathers, auto racer Johnny Rutherford, astronaut Barbara Morgan, bullfighter Rob Smets, and other risk takers. The 12-minute video puts a personal face on risk and highlights different opinions about risk. What’s riskier -- racing around an oval track at 200 miles per hour or driving to the grocery store? The answer depends on who you ask!
Do you consider yourself a risk taker? You might be surprised to find out you’re more or less of a risk taker than you thought in We Dare You To Take This Quiz. Your score in a series of 20 true-false questions shows your comfort level with risk. The How Old Are You Really? computer program shows us that the lifestyle choices we make – daily risk management decisions – can affect our quality of life. A series of lifestyle questions like “Do you exercise?” and “Do you eat fatty foods?” show that behavior influences our true “health age.”
Switches reinforces the highly personal nature of risk assessment. In classic game show fashion, you put yourself in the hot seat and test how far you’re willing to go to be a “winner.” Choose one of eight switches to earn points. Flashing lights, cheering, and double points reward “good” switch choices. But watch out! One of the eight switches is a “bad” switch that immediately ends the game and eliminates all earned points.
The element of risk is present in everything we do. The Extreme Gallery focuses on the response of science, technology, and engineering to risk through objects developed in response to particular types of risk. Some objects, like a bicycle helmet and bulletproof vest, are familiar while others, such as a steel mesh shark tunic and demining boots, require explanation.
“There is an unfortunate disconnect between the ways that scientists and the general public perceive and assess risk,” said Dr. Paul Slovic, a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon and a principal advisor for Risk! “The exhibit provides a wonderful opportunity to bring real risk and perceptions of risk closer together.”
Risk! is designed for adults and children ages 12 and up but is also appropriate for elementary school-age children. Developed by the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, it first opened in Fort Worth in 2002 and have been touring the country since then. Admission to Risk! is included with regular exhibits admission: $14 adults; $10 children (2-12) and seniors (60+).
Risk! is managed by 
Local in-kind support provided by:
Official Airlines of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
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