The Science Museum
Yup, another museum, London is full of 'em and I plan on seeing most. In a day and a bit I have now seen most of the Science Museum. I've been to about five of six floors although I admit that I was flagging by the end of the day and was no longer paying the same level of attention to all the exhibits apart from those that caught my interest. It's sort of a mix of a really well kept high tech Motat & the Auckland Museum but with quite a lot more detail and better use of space (the floor maps don't look huge but damn do they use that space!).
The emphasis I suppose is that this is a science museum. There are tons of visual displays from Greek vases to Egyptian mummies (on display & some mummified cats) to nasty looking obstretic forceps that I wouldn't want coming anywhere near me. But the visual displays are secondary to the intent of the museum - which is to teach & educate about technology, science, historiological forces & changes. There is a great deal of information to read that the v.d.u. are essentially there to illustrate as three-dimensional pictures.
For instance, the Energy Hall is full of different engines, steam powered looms, locomotives etc... But what it's trying to educate is the way that energy use has changed over the centuries, the key technological changes and the way that these machines work; why a condenser was such a vital innovation for instance. As well as all the written signs they have touch activated computers that provide further information on the innovators, diagrams of the machines and explanatory displays showing how they work exactly (going through how the different parts of the machine interact).
- Which is useful for me as I can't think in three dimensionally very well unless its in relation to literature or biology. I have no natural instincts when it comes to machines - which is probably why I have to run to Dad every time my car makes funny noises ~ did I mention that I'm eternally grateful? Machines and engineering only make sense to me kinetically. I can't picture in my head how they work or why this makes this happen. I have to take them apart and put them together with my hands and watcht hem work to really feel a connection with them.
Whereas cellular biology, mitochondria, DNA, genetic engineering - all of that I can picture instantly and makes sense, go figure!
The space section is quite cool. The pictures from Venus, Mercury, Mars etc.. are gorgeous. I think liked the satellite stuff best though. It was interesting to read about the different uses, positions, equipment and to see and contrast the different scans and data that they can pull depending on how they're doing they're imaging and what data they're trying to source i.e. thermographic weather patterns, infrared imaging of urbanisation, measurements of wave heights and patterns.
- New Zealand was in a lot of the oceanographic pics, yay!
They have a MOTAT type interactive section downstairs which is funky. Capturing shadows, building overhangs, funhouse mirrors all that sort of thing. It's next to the exhibit which teaches lockpicking (and the history of locks but mostly it teaches lockpicking & lets you practice) and the exhibit on household items over the decades. It was bizzarre watching schoolkids who didn't recognise Pong and couldn't get the hang of it! Then there were these old Fifties advertisements for fridges and stuff that were hilarious. In one their selling point for the fridge is that they have a four tonne elephant stand on it and it doesn't break.... cause we all worry about what's going to happen when Dumbo pops round for a cold one right?
One really nice exhibit was on nuclear waste and nuclear power stations in Britain. It had fairly balanced information on what's happening and different options i.e. do they bury nuclear waste (if so, how deep? how many sites? closed or open site?) or have it in surface containment, should they keep recycling nuclear waste if they don't use what they create through the recycling and as an off-shoot create potentially more difficult to contain new liquid toxic waste. You have the option at each work station (each covers a different aspect/issue) of sending your thoughts/choices off to parliament. Presumably they collate the data (or the museum does before sending) and they then have more informed citizens & public feedback. Nicely done.
The emphasis I suppose is that this is a science museum. There are tons of visual displays from Greek vases to Egyptian mummies (on display & some mummified cats) to nasty looking obstretic forceps that I wouldn't want coming anywhere near me. But the visual displays are secondary to the intent of the museum - which is to teach & educate about technology, science, historiological forces & changes. There is a great deal of information to read that the v.d.u. are essentially there to illustrate as three-dimensional pictures.
For instance, the Energy Hall is full of different engines, steam powered looms, locomotives etc... But what it's trying to educate is the way that energy use has changed over the centuries, the key technological changes and the way that these machines work; why a condenser was such a vital innovation for instance. As well as all the written signs they have touch activated computers that provide further information on the innovators, diagrams of the machines and explanatory displays showing how they work exactly (going through how the different parts of the machine interact).
- Which is useful for me as I can't think in three dimensionally very well unless its in relation to literature or biology. I have no natural instincts when it comes to machines - which is probably why I have to run to Dad every time my car makes funny noises ~ did I mention that I'm eternally grateful? Machines and engineering only make sense to me kinetically. I can't picture in my head how they work or why this makes this happen. I have to take them apart and put them together with my hands and watcht hem work to really feel a connection with them.
Whereas cellular biology, mitochondria, DNA, genetic engineering - all of that I can picture instantly and makes sense, go figure!
The space section is quite cool. The pictures from Venus, Mercury, Mars etc.. are gorgeous. I think liked the satellite stuff best though. It was interesting to read about the different uses, positions, equipment and to see and contrast the different scans and data that they can pull depending on how they're doing they're imaging and what data they're trying to source i.e. thermographic weather patterns, infrared imaging of urbanisation, measurements of wave heights and patterns.
- New Zealand was in a lot of the oceanographic pics, yay!
They have a MOTAT type interactive section downstairs which is funky. Capturing shadows, building overhangs, funhouse mirrors all that sort of thing. It's next to the exhibit which teaches lockpicking (and the history of locks but mostly it teaches lockpicking & lets you practice) and the exhibit on household items over the decades. It was bizzarre watching schoolkids who didn't recognise Pong and couldn't get the hang of it! Then there were these old Fifties advertisements for fridges and stuff that were hilarious. In one their selling point for the fridge is that they have a four tonne elephant stand on it and it doesn't break.... cause we all worry about what's going to happen when Dumbo pops round for a cold one right?
One really nice exhibit was on nuclear waste and nuclear power stations in Britain. It had fairly balanced information on what's happening and different options i.e. do they bury nuclear waste (if so, how deep? how many sites? closed or open site?) or have it in surface containment, should they keep recycling nuclear waste if they don't use what they create through the recycling and as an off-shoot create potentially more difficult to contain new liquid toxic waste. You have the option at each work station (each covers a different aspect/issue) of sending your thoughts/choices off to parliament. Presumably they collate the data (or the museum does before sending) and they then have more informed citizens & public feedback. Nicely done.
posted by Nixie! at 7:05 am
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