Information gathered by the instruments could help builders design stronger homes in areas where such dangerous storms are common.

Scientists are learning more about which storms develop into tornados by studying them from start to end. Mr. Wurman says that radar information has taught them that a “wind surge” could be what causes a storm to turn into a tornado.

“The scientific process is that we need to now observe that and repeat that observation in maybe a dozen or more other thunderstorms, and in maybe a dozen or more thunderstorms that aren’t making tornados, to really see if that surge causes tornados and if there is no surge, whether there is no tornado. ”

I’m Jerilyn Watson.

Old Ironsides

201 years ago today the 40-gun American Navy ship, the U.S.S. Constitution, got its nickname “Old Ironsides.” The name is linked to a battle between the Constitution and the British ship H.M.S. Guerriere during the War of 1812. The traditional naval story says a Constitution crew member watched a British cannonball hit the Constitution. The missile apparently did no damage to the wooden ship’s oak hull. The crew member reportedly said “Hooray, her sides are like iron!” And the nickname was born.

The Constitution won that battle and served through the war. It later became a training ship. It was scheduled to be destroyed in 1830. But many Americans opposed the idea.