environment

In August, over 100 Environment Agency experts volunteered their time to deliver free hands-on careers sessions with young visitors in Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery. Chief Scientist at the Environment Agency, Dr Robert Bradburne, reflects on the activities and the positive impact an environmental career could have on the next generation.

250 years ago today (28 November) meteorologist Luke Howard was born, to mark the occasion we’re looking back at Howard’s pioneering role in climate studies.

Some methods for removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere are unproven and others may carry risks. Roger Highfield, Science Director, talks to one of the organisers of an event next week to find out what the public think.

As a Dyson prize winning wind turbine goes on display in our Tomorrow’s World gallery, Margaret Campbell discovers how it could be used in built up cities and whether it could help lessen a city’s carbon footprint.

An ingenious, robotic, way of monitoring water health without distressing the fish.

Press officer Laura Singleton reports on Lovelock’s life and career as an independent scientist.

Dr Helen Peavitt explores the technology used to conquer Mount Everest.

As Britain lurches from flood to drought, experts from Government, industry, academia and consumer bodies gathered at the Science Museum to discuss that most fundamental ingredient of life: water.

This article was written by Ellie West-Thomas, An Electronic Music Volunteer. As Christmas draws closer, how many of you have found yourselves in a shopping centre listening to the dulcet sounds of an instrumental version of ‘The Girl from Ipanema’? Whether we notice it or not, music is always around us. Music by Muzak is a company who scientifically produced to create background music for shopping centres, offices and even lifts. It has been scientifically proven that music effects you and […]

Collecting stuff is generally the bit I like most about my job. That’s probably why I’ve got a bit over excited about the new acquisitions we’ve made related to synthetic biology – from no other than Tom Knight widely described as the “father” of the discipline. Synthetic biology is research that combines biology and engineering. Sounds like genetic engineering by another name? Well yes, but it goes much further. It looks to create new biological functions not found in nature, […]

It’s an amazing image to conjure with: the 23-year old James Lovelock, our most famous independent scientist, cradling a baby in his arms who would grow to become the world’s best known scientist, Stephen Hawking.

Lovelock told me about this touching encounter during one of his recent visits to the Science Museum, a vivid reminder of why the museum has spent £300,000 on his archive, an extraordinary collection of notebooks, manuscripts photographs and correspondence that reveals the remarkable extent of his research over a lifetime, from cryobiology and colds to Gaia and geoengineering.

The recent pronouncements by Scott Springer – Borough President of Manhattan – about the rat problem in New York received international attention. While they may have been motivated as much by politics as public health concerns, they once again highlighted our fractious relationship with these particular rodent. Few animals have attained such universal levels of loathing, although more than one friend of mine has enjoyed keeping pet rats – ‘Dave’ being one still remembered with great fondness. But even the […]