The Science Museum (London)

Founded in 1857, the Science Museum is a wonderful day or half day out in London, with or without kids. If it's raining or cold take the tube (subway) to South Kensington (on the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines) and walk through the pedestrian tunnel to the museum. The museum is funded by the government and visits are free apart from some special exhibitions for which an entry fee may be charged. Opening times and current exhibitions are detailed on the website.

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk.

The Science Museum is great for kids as there are hundreds of interactive exhibits – buttons to press, things to turn, push, swing, watch…

There is an IMAX 3D cinema and a new wing, funded by the Wellcome Trust, focusing on digital technology and medicine.

In the Computer Section they built a complete copy of Charles Babbage's 'differential engine' often seen as the first computer. The Science and Art of Medicine display shows the development of medical theory and technology from around the world. Sections on 'Science in the 18th Century', 'The History of Flight', 'Measuring Time', 'Marine Engineering', 'The Secret Life of the Home' 'Exploring Space', 'Challenge of Materials' 'Psychology' and 'Agriculture' are just a taste of what can be seen in the museum.

Kids can experience what it's like to fly in a jet fighter with the RAF 'Red Arrows' display team. They can take a 'co*kroach tour' (substitute 'c' for '*') and see what life is like from the point of view of one of nature's great survivors. Not sure why, but probably of more interest to the boys… Taster at:

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/smap/collection_index/$#*!roach_tour_of_the_science_museum.aspx

There are also many other online activities if you visit the website and links to resources for teachers.

If you can manage to visit the museum itself, you won't be able to see all the 300,000 exhibits in just one visit, but if you have any interest in science or the world around you, you should have a great time trying. Enjoy!

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Chris O. I was taken here by my parents to push all the buttons, too :-)

I learned nothing whatsoever but I do remember the buttons.

3/22/11  •  Votes (0)

K D. Maybe it started off your tech interests?

3/22/11  •  Votes (0)

Chris O. I don't think so ... back then it was more about engineering and steam engines and coal mining, none of which ever caught my imagination. I don't know what set it off, and it doesn't really go very wide or very deep, although that may be at least partly due to my inability to grasp mathematics and my problems with keeping attention and remembering things. Up until my early 30s I was , always an artist, or the "artistic" type, either in visual or musical arts, never an engineer or scientist. On reflection, I think it was the appeal of the computer as a tabula rasa - something I could fill with my own ideas in the same way that I might fill a sheet of paper with graphics, only more so.

3/22/11  •  Votes (0)