Geek Getaways

Don't try to catch this wave:  Jonathan Arvizu/Trapdoor Studio

See Tsunamis Crush Miniature Villages

Destination: Tsunami Research Facility, Oregon State University - Corvallis, Ore.
Here, you'll get to see the country's largest wave basin (160 by 87 by 5 feet), along with a 342-foot-long wave flume (sorry, no surfing) and a piston wave generator. All are designed to simulate the effects of tsunamis striking harbors, land and man-made structures. A scaled model of an offshore oil-rig platform was recently built inside the lab and hit with waves, yielding data that will enable engineers to build stronger, more stable rigs. The facility offers tours, open houses, workshops and viewings of actual experiments.

Info: wave.oregonstate.edu
Geek highlight: Watch 350,000 gallons of water convulse into a humongous wave.

Watch a Parking Garage Buckle

Destination: Earthquake Simulators - Buffalo, Reno and San Diego

Never seen a "shake table" shake? Visit these labs to witness the massive platforms, equipped with hydraulic actuators, simulate the force of the world's most devastating earthquakes. Structural engineers test everything from bridges to million-pound parking garages, sometimes shaking structures for two months at a time.

Info: nees.ucsd.edu, nees.buffalo.edu, nees.unr.edu
Geek highlight: See platforms at the Reno site quake the daylights out of a three-span bridge.