Science gallery in London Science Museum

LONDON.-The Science Museum , London, will open a new permanent climate science gallery - ‘atmosphere: exploring climate science’ on 4 December 2010.


‘atmosphere’ will provide a dedicated space for Science Museum visitors to deepen their understanding of climate science in an
enjoyable, engaging and memorable way. It will include interactive
exhibits and a variety of objects to explain how the climate system
works, to show how scientists study the system and to summarise the
current state of knowledge about the climate.


The Science Museum will use its long-established expertise in science communication to provide information on climate science for
everyone, no matter their level of prior knowledge. Visitors to
‘atmosphere: exploring climate science’ will be able to investigate:


• An immersive “gallery world” with its own atmosphere and landscapes. These beautiful, dynamic elements are inter-connected and
programmed to respond to visitors’ game-play in ways which imitate the
Earth’s complex system.


• Five “story zones” each using imaginative and engaging hands-on exhibits to explore different aspects of climate science, including; the
source of the Earth’s climatic zones; the way greenhouse gases affect
the Earth’s energy balance; and the way humans have altered the carbon
cycle.


• A flight spare Advanced Along Track Scanning Radiometer used to detect sea surface temperature from space alongside objects such as a
tree ring sample and a stalagmite sample, used by scientists to unravel
the secrets of Earth’s past climate.


• Historical perspectives on climate science including the work of pioneers such as John Tyndall, the first scientist to comprehend the
link between greenhouse gases and global warming through laboratory
experiments.


• The information and methods climate scientists use today to assess what is happening to the climate now and what the future may hold
as well as examples of technologies that can help us reduce the
likelihood and magnitude of climatic change and cope with the effects of
changes already occurring.


• A contemplative space where visitors can access more detail on the topics that interest them and express their own thoughts on climate
science.