All these answers and many more await you in a new, permanent exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry titled “Science Storms.” Patrons can learn about the natural processes that define their world in a new, novel and extremely interactive way.

“I absolutely love it,” said Angela Patnode, a 26-year-old engineer. “I like the scale of everything.”

The sense of scale is a large part of the exhibit, and it makes the interactivity that much more intriguing.

The exhibit, which opened to rave reviews in March, is dominated by a large, floor-to-ceiling tornado and a large wave pool in which patrons can set the size and frequency of waves and observe how they react with different shorelines.

Further into the exhibit, one can attempt to control a large flame through the use of mist, controlling everything from the size of the flame to the size and density of the water droplets falling on it. Illuminate the mist with lasers for extra fun and insight!

The exhibit offers an activity for everyone, even those who are less interested in the “fire and ice” aspects of nature.

Kids will love learning about parabolas by firing tennis balls clear across the exhibit, setting the power and angle of each shot.

“It’s good to see lots of interactive exhibits for the kids, gets them interested in science and technology,” said Australian tourist Matthew Dunwoodie, 45.

The range and amount of interactivity associated with “Science Storms” is revolutionary. There is hardly an activity in the exhibit that cannot be manipulated, and every station is likely to be filled with excited people learning about things they have previously only witnessed.

It’s not often that an institution, even the renowned Science and Industry Museum of Chicago, is able to get so many people interested in and learning about basic processes of nature.

The use of thermal imaging cameras, prevalent throughout the exhibit, is also new and exciting to many patrons.

You can heat and release your own hot air balloon while watching the air change temperature and swirl about within through the use of thermal imaging.

Witness the sunlight’s effect on water molecules, as you control the intensity and angle of a sun lamp and view the water in the thermal wavelength.

“I really enjoy it,” raved Steven Osborne, 18. “I think it’s fantastic. I really enjoy the physics stuff.”

All the freshness and novelty of this exhibit has led to some problems, however. With such large focus on public interaction, combined with the very large crowds in the opening weeks, several activity stations have had to undergo repairs.

“It’s good when it works, but there are a couple exhibits that aren’t working that are kind of frustrating,” said Patnode.

Even with the minor technical difficulties, the exhibit still shines. A match for nearly any other permanent installment at the museum, it is certain to draw in museum-goers with its sleek and flashy style, grandiose exhibits and a touchy-feely aspect rivaled by very few other exhibits, either in or out of the Science and Industry.

Police officials refuse to comment on the extent and number of the cameras, which they term “police observation devices,” or PODs, but the Associated Press estimates there are at least 10,000 police cameras city-wide. Police officials have said they are in the process of linking this city-wide surveillance network to allow more comprehensive coverage.

“We have a great number of concerns about the spread of surveillance throughout Chicago,” said Ed Yohnka, director of communications and public policy for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. “These cameras are incredibly powerful tools … We know from experience that when police are given this type of power, it inevitably leads to abuse.”

Authorities say the cameras help reduce crime, determine fault in traffic incidents and help fire protection agencies, among a laundry list of other benefits.

Police cameras are now ubiquitous in Pilsen, and the numbers, kept secret by police, are only growing. Pilsen’s Manuel Perez, Jr. Elementary School has two active police cameras within 75 yards of its front door.

Many critics say this is part of the gentrification of the area, a process wherein property values rise and drive out the low-income populace.

Pilsen’s early residents were Czech immigrants eager to start new lives in the young city. Today it is quite different from its Eastern European origins, but it is still an immigrant port of entry, now home primarily to Mexican immigrants.

But as Pilsen becomes a more attractive place for upper-income people to live, locals say, police are working harder to drive out gang members. As with many aspects of gentrification, some locals have mixed feelings about police efforts to reduce crime or other efforts to “improve” the neighborhood.

Jimmy Dixon, 26, said there’s no point in fighting gentrification.

“I think it’s natural,” he said while walking Pilsen’s main thoroughfare, 18^th Street. “It’s the way big cities like this work.”

While many think police surveillance is focused unduly on low-income and ethnic neighborhoods, others believe this is where the cameras are most needed to deter crime. However, many experts question whether the cameras affect crime at all.

“They [cameras] displace crime, but don’t deter it.” Yohnka said.

And even if they do reduce crime, residents worry about the civil liberty and psychological implications. While it is certainly legal to photograph public space, it may be morally questionable to allow authorities to keep a constant video record of their citizens. As the old saying goes: “Make a man think he is constantly watched, and he will internalize his surveillance, correcting his own behavior.”

Either way, Pilsen — say “cheese.”

This code of silence helps to protect criminals, perpetuate retaliation and hinder police in their investigative efforts, Weis said, especially in low-income and tight-knit communities.

Weis focused on student safety in his Feb. 18 address to the small crowd, saying that many student victims tell police, “I’ll handle it myself.” Weis believes this attitude perpetuates a circle of violence, and he hopes the “Silence Kills” campaign can begin to bring an end to the code of silence with its slogan: “Stop the violence, stop the silence, because silence kills.”

The campaign, funded through federal stimulus money, includes ads in television, radio and print intended to show the brutality and lasting damage of gun crimes.

The primary purpose of police board meetings is to allow civilians a venue to air their frustrations and concerns to members of the board. Citizens who spoke at the recent meeting were largely concerned with police misconduct, specifically the case of 11-year-old Timia Williams, who was allegedly assaulted by three police officers in May 2001.

“The code of silence is justified by the fact that these officers are still on the force,” said Larry Marshall, a close family member of Williams, who said there is a serious lack of public confidence and trust in the Chicago Police Department. Marshall questioned why citizens who do not trust police officers would willingly divulge information to them, regardless of the benefits to a specific case.

Marshall’s friend George Smith, 48, spoke out against the “renegade” officers who allegedly assaulted Williams, delivering a loud and agitated speech that ranged in topic from the earthquake in Haiti to alleged police brutality on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The board itself is composed of appointed civilians who earn a salary of $15,000 per year. Board members review case files and vote on action to be taken.

During the meeting, the board announced they had overturned the department‘s recommendation to fire three officers accused of conducting illegal searches through the use of illegal warrants.

Chicago Justice Project Executive Director Tracy Siska calls this a disturbing trend.

Siska said there has been a two-thirds reduction in disciplinary action taken against police officers accused of misconduct. He heads the Justice Project in an attempt to make police department activity more accountable to the public.

Siska hopes to create more transparency in the Chicago Police Department in order to better regulate and prosecute misconduct. Civilians will eventually be able to, through the Project, trace a 911 call from answer to dispatch. Citizens will also be able to log onto the Project Web site and follow a case from start to finish, including any reports or complaints filed.

Police board members refused to answer questions from media at the meeting, and no one answered the number listed on their Web site. The answering service had one option: To file a complaint, press one.