For Immediate Release Contact: Nancy O'Shea (312) 665-7100 (For Media Use Only) Discover the Power of Earth's Forces NATURE UNLEASHED: INSIDE NATURAL DISASTERS The Field Museum, May 23, 2008 through January 4, 2009 The Earth sustains us, protects us, and makes life possible; but it also humbles us with its dramatic power. The Field Museum's new exhibition, Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters, explores natural disasters through stunning displays, state-of-the-art animations, poignant, large-scale images, and cultural artifacts that reveal the dynamic relationship we have with the Earth. Nature Unleashed focuses on four types of disasters—earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, and tornadoes. These phenomena are the spectacular results of the forces that drive our ever-changing planet. From Pompeii to Papua New Guinea to New Orleans to Greenburg, Kansas, Nature Unleashed examines the science behind the history and the headlines. The exhibition illustrates how much we know—and how much we are still learning—about nature's terrifying power. Museum visitors are in for a memorable and powerful experience. They can witness what it's like to stand inside a roaring tornado; trigger an underwater earthquake and simulate a tsunami; create a virtual volcano; touch and examine real rock and lava specimens that tell of past geologic events; discover how people adapt to living at risk; and be inspired by the resiliency of disaster survivors. The exhibition stresses that storms, volcanoes, and other forces of natures are completely natural phenomena. Whether they're disasters or not depends on the choices we make. Nature Unleashed examines how we can prepare for, and in some cases minimize, the impact of nature's fury. In recent years, scientists have studied the correlations between global warming and weather-related natural disasters. Nature Unleashed looks at how increasingly warm air and sea temperatures may have the potential to cause more severe storms. The exhibition, organized and developed by The Field Museum, opens on May 23, 2008 and runs through January 4, 2009 before traveling to several other venues. Allstate is the corporate sponsor for the exhibition. "Allstate is proud to serve as the National Tour Sponsor of The Field Museum's Nature Unleashed: Inside Natural Disasters exhibition" said Joan Walker, Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations and Marketing. "Nature Unleashed will foster understanding of natural phenomena and our human responses to them so that we are all better protected today and prepared for tomorrow." << Back to the Nature Unleashed Press kit