NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Science Museum of London

The Science Museum on Exhibition Road, Kensington, London, is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. The museum is a major London tourist attraction. Taken by A. Brady 27th March 2004 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The main entrance of the Science Museum on Exhibition Road. ... London WC1 is the London postal district covering the area of central London roughly bounded by Grays Inn Road to the east, High Holborn to the south, Tottenham Court Road to the west and Euston Road to the north. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area â€“ Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 kmÂ² Population â€“mid-2004... Located on Cromwell Road in South Kensington, London, South Kensington tube station is the closest London Underground station to the Natural History, Science and Victoria and Albert Museums, as well as to Imperial College. ... The main entrance of the Science Museum on Exhibition Road. ... Kensington is an area to the west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. ... For other uses, see London (disambiguation). ... The National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI) is a collection of British museums, comprising: The National Railway Museum in York. ... The National Gallery in London, a famous museum. ... A tourist attraction is a place where tourists, foreign and domestic, normally visit. ...

Origin

A museum was founded in 1857 under Bennet Woodcroft from the collection of the Royal Society of Arts and surplus items from the Great Exhibition. It was initially part of the South Kensington Museum, together with what is now the Victoria and Albert Museum, but was separated and became the Museum of Patents in 1858, the Patent Office Museum in 1863. This museum contained many of the most famous exhibits of what is now the Science Museum. In 1885, the Science Collections were renamed the Science Museum and in 1893 a separate Director was appointed. The Art Collections were renamed the Art Museum, which became the Victoria and Albert Museum nearby. The Patent Office Museum was merged into the Science Museum in 1909. 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. ... The Great Exhibition: Paxtons Crystal Palace enclosed full-grown trees in Hyde Park. ... The Cromwell Road entrance to the Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A) is on Cromwell Road in Kensington, West London. ... The Cromwell Road entrance to the Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum viewed from Thurloe Square The main interior courtyard of the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2004. ... 1858 (MDCCCLVIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Cromwell Road entrance to the Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum viewed from Thurloe Square The main interior courtyard of the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2004. ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Stephensons Rocket taken in London Science Museum Taken by User:William M. Connolley on 2004/03/13. ... Stephensons Rocket taken in London Science Museum Taken by User:William M. Connolley on 2004/03/13. ... Stephensons Rocket was an early steam locomotive of 0-2-2 wheel arrangement, built by George and Robert Stephenson in 1829. ... Download high resolution version (960x1280, 178 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (960x1280, 178 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The general structure of a section of DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid â€”usually in the form of a double helixâ€” that contains the genetic instructions specifying the biological development of all cellular forms of life, and most viruses. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... James Dewey Watson (born April 6, 1928) is one of the discoverers of the structure of the DNA molecule. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1953 calendar). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (960x1280, 143 KB) photo by Alkivar In early particle accelerators a Cockcroft-Walton voltage multiplier was responsible for voltage multiplying. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (960x1280, 143 KB) photo by Alkivar In early particle accelerators a Cockcroft-Walton voltage multiplier was responsible for voltage multiplying. ... A 1960s single stage 2MeV linear Van de Graaff accelerator, here opened for maintenance A particle accelerator is a device that uses electric and/or magnetic fields to propel electrically charged particles to high speeds. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 kilometers (11 mi) above the hypocenter. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Royal Philips Electronics N.V.), usually known as Philips, (Euronext: PHIA, NYSE: PHG) is one of the largest electronics companies in the world. ... Eindhoven is a municipality and a city located in the province of Noord-Brabant in the south of the Netherlands, originally at the confluence of the Dommel and Gender brooks. ... The Cockcroft-Walton (CW) generator, or multiplier, was named after the two men who in 1932 used this circuit design to power their particle accelerator, performing the first artificial nuclear disintegration in history. ...

Collections

The Science Museum now holds a collection of over 300,000 items, including such famous items as Stephenson's Rocket, Puffing Billy (another early locomotive), the first jet engine, a reconstructionof Francis Crick and James Watson's model of DNA, some of the earliest remaining steam engines, a working example of Charles Babbage's Difference engine, and the first prototype of the 10,000-year Clock of the Long Now. It also contains hundreds of interactive exhibits. A recent addition is the IMAX Theatre showing science and nature documentaries, some of them in 3-D. Entrance has been free since December 1, 2001. Stephensons Rocket was an early steam locomotive of 0-2-2 wheel arrangement, built by George and Robert Stephenson in 1829. ... The engine as seen from the front Puffing Billy was an early steam locomotive, constructed in 1812-1814 by engineer William Hedley, enginewright Jonathan Forster and blacksmith Timothy Hackworth for Christopher Blackett, the owner of Wylam Colliery near Newcastle upon Tyne. ... A Pratt and Whitney turbofan engine for the F-15 Eagle is tested at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, USA. The tunnel behind the engine muffles noise and allows exhaust to escape. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The general structure of a section of DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid â€”usually in the form of a double helixâ€” that contains the genetic instructions specifying the biological development of all cellular forms of life, and most viruses. ... A steam engine is an external combustion heat engine that makes use of the thermal energy that exists in steam, converting it to mechanical work. ... Charles Babbage Charles Babbage (26 December 1791 â€“ 18 October 1871) was an English mathematician, analytical philosopher, mechanical engineer and (proto-) computer scientist who originated the idea of a programmable computer. ... A difference engine is a historical, mechanical special-purpose computer designed to tabulate polynomial functions. ... The first prototype, on display at the Science Museum in London --Danny Hillis The Clock of the Long Now, also called the 10,000-year clock, is a mechanical clock designed to keep time for 10,000 years. ... IMAX theatre at the Melbourne Museum complex. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This US Postage Stamp celebrates the 3-D movie craze of the 1950s. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

The museum also houses some of the many objects collected by Henry Wellcome around a medical theme. These are displayed up on the 4th and 5th floors, although the objects on display are a fraction of the overall collection. The Science Museum has a dedicated library, and until the 1960s was Britain's National Library for Science, Medicine and Technology. It holds runs of periodicals, early books and manuscripts, and is used by scholars world-wide. It has for a number of years been run in conjunction with the Library of Imperial College, but in 2004 the Museum was unable to bear its share of the cost, so options are being discussed for the library's break-up and dispersal. [2] Henry Solomon Wellcome (born 1853 in Wisconsin, died 1936) was an American-British pharmaceutical entrepreneur. ... A modern-style library in ChambÃ©ry In the traditional sense of the word, a library is a collection of books and periodicals. ... The outrageously crowded Woodstock festival epitomized the popular antiwar movement of the 60s. ... Royal School of Mines Entrance Imperial College London is a college of the University of London which focuses on science and technology, and is located in South Kensington in London. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Dana Centre

In November 2003, the Science Museum opened the Dana Centre. The Centre is a groundbreaking urban bar and café annexed to the Museum, and is presently the UK’s only dedicated venue for adults to discuss controversial science. The Dana Centre is a young, controversial and experimental venue which exists to challenge public perception about science and tackle contemporary issues head on. It has become notorious for innovative events including stand-up comics debunking science myths to a live heart by-pass operation, as well as debates, art installations and live experiments. The Dana Centre, opened in 2003, is an event venue in London for contemporary science debate, run largely by the Science Museum. ...

Science Night

The Science Museum also organises "Science Night", "all night extravaganza with a scientific twist". Up to 380 children aged between 8 and 11, accompanied by adults, are invited to spend an evening performing fun "science based" activities and then spend the night sleeping in the galleries museum amongst the exhibits. In the morning, they're woken to breakfast and more science, watching an IMAX film before the end of the event. [[3]] IMAX theatre at the Melbourne Museum complex. ...

Galleries

The Science Museum is made up of a number of galleries, some of which are permanent, and some of which are temporary.

Power: The East Hall

The East Hall is the first area that most visitors see as they enter the building, stretching up through three floors. On the ground, the area is mostly filled with iconic steam engines of various sorts, which together tell the story of the British industrial revolution. Up in the air, suspended from the ceiling is giant metallic ring, the inside of which is covered in white LEDs which form patterns and display messages typed into kiosks by visitors in the Energy gallery. A steam engine is a heat engine that makes use of the thermal energy that exists in steam, converting it to mechanical work. ... A Watt steam engine in Madrid. ... Various light-emitting diodes (5 mm reds, 3 mm greens and yellows) A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits incoherent monochromatic light when electrically biased in the forward direction. ...

Space

Space is a historic gallery, filled with rockets and exhibits that tell the story of human space exploration and the benefits that space exploration has brought us (particularly in the world of telecommunications). Space exploration is the physical exploration of outer space. ... Telecommunication involves the transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. ...

Making the Modern World

Making the Modern World is a relatively new gallery, in which some of the museum's most iconic objects, including Stephenson's Rocket and an Apollo space capsule, are imaginatively displayed along a timeline chronicling man's technological achievements.

Flight

Flight is another longstanding gallery, up towards the western end of the third floor. Contained in the gallery is a huge number of full sized aeroplanes and helicopters, as well as numerous engines and a cross-section of a Boeing 747. This article refers to the tool of travel. ... A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more large horizontal rotors (propellers). ... The Boeing 747, commonly called the Jumbo Jet, is one of the most recognizable modern jet airliners and is the largest airliner currently in airline service. ...

Location

The museum is adjacent to the Natural History Museum and used to be connected to it by a public corridor, which is now closed. The closest London Underground station is South Kensington; a subway connects the museums to the station. The Natural History Museum from the south east The Natural History Museum, one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, Kensington, London (the others are the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum), is home to life and earth science collections comprising some 70 million items. ... The nickname the Tube comes from the circular tube-like tunnels through which the small-profile trains travel. ... Located on Cromwell Road in South Kensington, London, South Kensington tube station is the closest London Underground station to the Natural History, Science and Victoria and Albert Museums, as well as to Imperial College. ...

Refurbishment

The Science Museum is undergoing a series of refurbishments as part of a vision to update the museum. The East Hall has been finished and the renovated museum shop opened in October 2005.

Directors of the Science Museum

The Directors of the Science Museum have been: Sir Henry Cole (15 July 1808, Bath â€“ 18 April 1882, London) was a civil servant who facilitated many innovations in commerce and education in 19th century Britain. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calaber). ...

1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Colonel Sir Henry Lyons FRS was Director of the Science Museum, London, UK from 1920 to 1933. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 3 - Babe Ruth is traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for $125,000, the largest sum ever paid for a player at that time. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sir David Follett FMA, Director of the Science Museum, London, UK. David Follett was a Director of the Science Museum in London from 1960 to 1973. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... Dame Margaret Weston DBE FMA, Director of the Science Museum, London, UK. Margaret Weston spent much if her life at the Science Museum in London, rising to Director at the end of her career from 1973 to 1986, succeeding Sir David Follett. ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

External links

Categories: Science museums | Technology museums | Science and technology in the United Kingdom | Museums in London | Museums sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport | Kensington & Chelsea | IMAX venues | Industry museums in the United Kingdom | 1857 establishments There are over 240 museums in London. ... The centre of the museum was redeveloped in 2000 to become the Great Court, with a tessellated glass roof by Foster and Partners surrounding the original Reading Room. ... The public entrance to the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms is a small hole on the corner of a very grand building. ... The Design Museum is a museum in Shad Thames, near Tower Bridge in central London. ... Dulwich Picture Gallery is an art gallery in Dulwich, London. ... The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art is a museum in Canonbury Square in the district of Islington on the northern fringes of central London. ... Sigmund Freuds couch used during psychoanalytic sessions can be found at the Freud Museum In 1938, the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, left Vienna after the Nazi annexation of Austria and moved to London, taking up residence at 20 Maresfield Gardens in Hampstead, Londons most intellectual suburb. ... Geffrye Museum frontage. ... Hayward Gallery, London The Hayward Gallery is an art gallery within the South Bank Centre, situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, in central London, England. ... HMS Belfast (C35) is an Edinburgh-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. ... Categories: Museum stubs | London attractions ... Imperial War Museum, Lambeth, London The original location of the Imperial War Museum was the Crystal Palace, located at the top of Sydenham Hill. ... Metropolitan Railway steam locomotive number 23, the only surviving locomotive from the worlds first underground railway, is preserved in the museum Londons Transport Museum, formerly known as the London Transport Museum, is a museum which seeks to conserve and explain the transport heritage of London, the capital city... Interior showing the Mayors state coach The Museum of London documents the history of London from the Palaeolithic to the present day. ... The Museum of Performance (formerly the Theatre Museum) in the Covent Garden district of London is the United Kingdoms national museum of the performing arts. ... The National Gallery from Trafalgar Square The National Gallery is an art gallery in London, located on the north side of Trafalgar Square. ... The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich The National Maritime Museum (NMM) is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom, and one of the most important in the world. ... The National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery in central London which was opened in 1856. ... The Natural History Museum from the south east The Natural History Museum, one of three large museums on Exhibition Road, Kensington, London (the others are the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum), is home to life and earth science collections comprising some 70 million items. ... This article refers to an art institution in London. ... The Saatchi Gallery building in Chelsea opens in early 2007 The Saatchi Gallery, a London gallery for contemporary modern art, was opened by Charles Saatchi in order to show his sizeable (and changing) collection to the public. ... The Soane Museum is a museum of architecture, and was formerly the house and studio of Sir John Soane. ... The central courtyard of Somerset House in London. ... The Courtauld Institute of Art is a listed organisation of the University of London specialising in the study of the history of art. ... The Gilbert Collection was formed by the English businessman Sir Arthur Gilbert, who made most of his fortune in the property business in California. ... The Hermitage Rooms at Somerset House in London are a venue for temporary exhibitions of items from the collections of the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg in Russia. ... Tate Britain is a part of the Tate Gallery in Britain, along with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. ... Tate Modern from the Millennium Bridge Tate Modern from St Pauls Cathedral. ... The Cromwell Road entrance to the Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum viewed from Thurloe Square The main interior courtyard of the Victoria and Albert Museum in 2004. ... Exterior of the museum The official opening of the Bethnal Green Museum by the Prince of Wales in 1872. ... The Wallace Collection is a national art museum located in London. ... The Whitechapel Gallery, founded 1901, was one of the first publicly-funded galleries for temporary exhibitions in London. ...

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