Owning a StarCAVE, an interactive virtual reality theater where scientific models are projected stereoscopically on every surface, including the floor, is probably a biologist’s single best bet at getting on MTV’s “Cribs.” Now showing: RNA.

“You can fly over a strand of DNA and look in front, behind and below you, or navigate through the superstructure of a building to detect where damage from an earthquake may have occurred,” said Director of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology and Project Leader Thomas A. DeFanti in an interview for the National Science Foundation.

Adding to the magic, users swing a wand to zoom in and out and navigate during their fantastic voyage. They also don a pair of slick 3D glasses, which add a third dimension to their studies. If you plan on attending this show though, forget tickets and popcorn. But do remember your doctorate.

Credit: Tom DeFanti, UCSD Calit2