In a corner of Science Museum Oklahoma, childlike squeals rang out on a recent Saturday afternoon as youngsters watched a ropy cyclone form out of fog, pushed the edges of a display to send puffs of clouds sailing toward the ceiling and lined up to “Ride the Tornado” in the storm simulator.
“I do notice that when I’m out on the floor, people reference the movie … like, ‘Oh, it’s like “Twisters!”‘” said President and CEO Sherry Marshall , who recently marked her 30th anniversary at the Oklahoma City museum.
“When we look at pop culture and ways that movies can bring people to the science, it’s a really great hook. … It opens the door for us to talk about what’s real, where the inspiration (comes from) and how science really is important for moviemaking — and for the real world.”
Standing at the edge of Science Museum Oklahoma’s weather exhibit “Eye on the Sky,” Marshall recalled how the original blockbuster “Twister,” which filmed across the Sooner State, sparked new interest in meteorology back in the 1990s.