Meteorologists (scientists who study weather and climate) would like to step into a hurricane to find out how the winds inside it behave-and come back out alive. Chemists and drug designers would like to examine the shape of complex molecules and build new ones, atom by atom. Paleontologists (scientists who study ancient forms of life) would like to travel back in time to see how dinosaurs walked. Since doing those things in real life is difficult or impossible, some of these scientists are doing them in virtual reality instead.

Many people think of virtual reality as little more than a high-tech toy, but a growing number of scientists, physicians, engineers, industrial designers, and businesspeople are coming to see it as a serious tool. It brings people in different countries together without the bother of...