Sun. Jan. 4 

Last call! John Cale sang it out back in 1973 in what was first calm and then hysterical: "Fear! Is a man's best friend!" He always sounded so convincing! Not to make us try skydiving, but enough to make us like vicarious thrills. That's what the Museum of Science has up now. It's an exhibit called "Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear." Now, this is not just a continuous loop of the five "Saw" movies and Charles Manson speeches. Here you look at what makes our hearts race, our knees shake, and our bodies sweat when we are scared. "Goose Bumps!" allows visitors to discover the science behind the physical and emotional responses of the life-saving emotion of fear. That's right, fear can be live saving. You're afraid, chances are you'll do something to minimize that fright unless you're just friggin' paralyzed by it. "Goose Bumps!" begins with a Fear Challenge Course where visitors face four common fears (animals, electric shock, loud noises, falling) in what the MoS people promise is "a fun and safe environment." Another exhibit highlight is the Fear Lab. Here you explore the brain’s structures and pathways that drive fear response. Visitors will meet Mr. Goose Bumps - okay, this part seems a little hokey - a larger-than-life figure that illustrates, through animation, how the brain and body work together in response to danger. Now, a part that gets a little "CSI-y": Real brains and brain slices preserved through the process of plastination will be on display showing similarities between key brain fear structures in humans and animals. This runs through Jan. 4.
As they say, that's not all folks ... Also up now is "Adrenaline Rush: The Science of Risk" on Large Format Film. This film will probably put your heart in your throat as it whips you along on a breathtaking journey from extraordinary heights, featuring spectacular footage of extreme skydiving while delving into both the biology of risktaking and the physics that make human flight possible. Yep, death-defying rides with skydiving teams and leap off of spectacular cliffs with BASE jumpers. More than a thrilling visual experience, "Adrenaline Rush: The Science of Risk" educates audiences on the psychological and physiological forces that are at play in extreme risktaking. and on the physics involved in skydiving, BASE jumping, parachuting. . Both exhibits included in the $19 admission price. The exhibt closes after today, Sunday Jan. 4. 

Science Park, 617-723-2500 www.mos.org