The Museum of Science, Boston (aka An Affective Method of Birth Control)

My sister was visiting me in Boston this week, so I had a chance to go out and do a number of touristy things in town. Besides visiting the MFA (which is in the process of being remodeled and looks fantastic) and Harvard Square (which wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the ubiquitous scent of urine), we also went to Boston's Museum of Science. Although neither of us are particularly science-oriented (much to our mother's chagrin), we thought it might be a lot of fun to check out the butterfly garden and the other exhibits.

While we had a lot of fun wandering around the museum for a couple of hours, the trip solidified several things in my mind. Besides confirming my aversion to crowds, my visit to the MOS made me realize that spending time there might be a very affective method of birth control. I have nothing against children, but being surrounded by hundreds of 5 - 11 year olds who are running around and screaming is enough to convince almost anyone that waiting to have kids may be a very good idea. Taking teenagers and young adults there would also be more cost-effective and less humiliating than having them participate in NBC's controversial reality show The Baby Borrowers.

Strangely, when visiting other children-oriented sites like the New England Aquarium, I wasn't aware of the complete chaos that I found at the MOS. Either I have become less tolerant of children or the MOS crowd tends to be rowdier because of the amount of interactive things children can do there. However, I am not planning on attempting to find the answer to this anytime soon. Despite the edifying trip to the MOS, I have an exam coming up, and the quiet in the library will be a welcome respite (at least in theory).