Saturday, April 11th was Conner Prairie’s first Science Saturday! The theme was Blown Away: Indiana Storms and Tornadoes. By all accounts, it was a smashing success.
I thought I’d share just a few observations and quotes that summed up the guest experience:
(From General Manager Dave Allison)
At about 2:30pm I walked up to the porch at the Zimmerman farmhouse. I noticed a young boy holding the make-n-take anemometer from the History Science Theater presentation. With his hand high in the air, he turned to his mother and said, “Now I have to test the wind here as well. See?! It is different than it was earlier!”
I (Adam) walked into the Welcome Center around 4:00 and saw a twelve year old boy poised in front the video camera we had set up. The camera was fixed on a weather map with magnetic fronts, clouds, and tornados. He was preparing his forecast as his mother was filming: “Alright mom, I’m ready.” He silently counted to three. “Hello, and live from the studio, I have today’s forecast…” He went through an entire weather report for the nation before concluding, “So, check back in at 11:00…back to you.”
And there were more than a few dads who were completely geeked-out over the new Wimshurst machine! It’s a 19th-century electrostatic generator and it had a similar effect as the neighbor working on his car: men came from everywhere just to stand and look, to ponder, to fiddle, to appreciate a fine piece of machinery. This one just happens to shoot eight-inch sparks. And you can see it everyday in the History Science Theater.