On June 17, 2009, we were out intercepting tornadoes just west of Aurora, Nebraska, as part of my doctoral research. We thought we were looking at weak tornadoes that day, but as it turned out, a freakishly intense storm almost cost us our lives even as it gave me the data I needed to complete my dissertation. From the Fields is a periodic Wired Science op-ed series presenting leading scientists’ reflections on their work, society and culture. Reed Timmer is working on his Ph.D. in meteorology at the University of Oklahoma. He’s a co-star of the Discovery Channel television show “Storm Chasers,” which airs Sundays at 10 p.m. eastern. Follow him on Twitter @TornadoVideos. Thanks to a TV deal with the Discovery Channel, based on my recordings at TornadoVideos.net, we had been developing an armored vehicle designed to drive into tornadoes. The Dominator, as we semi-jokingly call it, is a modded 2008 Chevy Tahoe with bullet-proof Lexan windows, steel armor and a ro…[...]

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Op-Ed: Tornado Scientist Risks Life for Ph.D.