At the Museum

This tree-like structure that symbolises the growth of engineering has been chosen as the trophy for a new global prize. The Queen Elizabeth Prize is considered to be the Nobel prize for engineering and yesterday the winner of the trophy competition was announced by Ian Blatchford, Director of the Science Museum Group.

Boffins, crazy ideas and blue sky research might not sound like the building blocks of an industrial policy. However, one of the most seasoned figures in modern politics argued this week that science is not just a cultural activity but plays a central role in driving the nation’s economy. Lord Heseltine, the former deputy Prime Minister, delivered this message to a 300-strong audience attending the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CASE) Annual Lecture.

The musician and entrepreneur will.i.am gave a classic demonstration of the ‘show, don’t tell’ technique yesterday as part of his quest to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

The bestselling author James Gleick last night won the world’s most prestigious science book prize with his revelatory chronicle of how information has become the defining quality of the modern age.

Clack clack clack clack… ping! The sound of a typewriter sweeping across the page, already becoming a faint memory, will soon fall silent as the mass manufacturing of this technology ends in the UK.

Ninety years ago at 5:33pm on 14th November 1922, the first British Broadcasting Company transmitter, 2LO, crackled into life.

Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner visited the Science Museum today, where he told the museum’s Roger Highfield how, with only 10 minutes of oxygen remaining, he had just a few seconds to enjoy the majestic view of his home.

Ghostly goings on dominated our Flight gallery last Friday as over 400 corporate members and members of the museum dusted off their finest spooky outfits to join the Development Team for their annual Halloween Evening.

What do you see when you picture a scientist? Too often, it’s a man with crazy white hair. At the Science Museum this evening, ScienceGrrl is launching a calendar to change this.

People ask, with some justification, what a writer-in-residence actually does. Mick Jackson, our writer-in-residence answers those questions.

Earlier this week we celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the Science Media Centre (SMC) here at the Science Museum.

“If science is to inspire, engage and thrive, it needs its heroes more than ever.” This was the key message from Dr. Roger Highfield, our Director of External Affairs, and this year’s recipient of the Wilkins-Bernal-Medawar Medal, at his Royal Society lecture ‘Heroes of Science’ earlier this week.