LAWLESSNESS IN THE OLD WEST

Geology, Astronomy, Flight Simulation Learn How Things Work at the FLANDRAU SCIENCE CENTER

I am prompted to shop for food, ammunition, medicine, and spare wagon wheels. If I make the wrong decision about how much of any of these we will need on our long journey, my friends and I could die of starvation or disease or be stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Luckily, I am only sitting in front of a computer terminal at Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson making these decisions about computer people on a make-believe trip along the Oregon Trail.

Flandrau still focuses on astronomy in its theater presentations, and there's a 16-inch telescope visitors can use to scan the night sky as well as meteorite and solar system exhibits to explore. But a few years ago, Flandrau changed its personality.

"We expanded our programs to meet the educational challenges of today," said Michael Midkiff, Flandrau's former deputy director. "And what we have seen is that the exhibits aimed at young people attract all ages. They like to find out about magnets and electricity and how things work. Everyone has a natural curiosity about the universe."

Curiosity. That's what brought me here. And I intend to take a turn at all the hands-on exhibits.

Three hinged mirrors sit between a sidereal clock and a fish tank. I place a picture on the table and move the mirrors close together to create multiple images, just as a hand-held kaleidoscope would. Flandrau provides pictures of flowers, buildings, animals, and celebrities with which to experiment.

The tracing mirror, my next stop, challenges my dexterity. A square, circle, star, and pentagon printed on a piece of paper reflect in a mirror. Trying to follow the shapes with my finger while looking in the mirror sounds simple enough but proves difficult.

The unseeable becomes