5 Activities in London Space & Tech Lovers Shouldn?t Miss
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Are you visiting London on your next trip to the United Kingdom and are you interested to learn more about our planet, science and technology? Then you?re in luck! The city is not only blessed with a history including names such as Newton, Darwin, Faraday and Fleming, but it also has an unrivaled richness of (free) museums, universities, learned societies, science and tech startups, events and festivals dedicated to the sciences.
Whether you’re a science buff or just have a curious mind, in this article we round up some of the most fascinating experiences and days out in London for the entire family:
1. The Science Museum, Kensington
Your number one stop when it comes to learning about science has to be the London Science Museum in South Kensington. With seven floors of educational and entertaining exhibits, you could easily spend an entire day exploring topics such as flight, medicine, clocks and robotics. For space-lovers, the museum has an Apollo 10 command module and a flight simulator. The ‘Exploring Space’ galleries also feature the massive telescope that was flown on British space missions and a full-scale models of the Beagle 2 Mars Lander. At the in-house IMAX theatre, you can enjoy watching scientific films in 3D and really surround yourself with space -all the way to the depths of the ocean.
Address: Exhibition Rd, Kensington, London SW7 2DD
Opening Hours: Daily from 10am – 6pm
Tickets: Admission is free for the general exhibition, tickets are needed for IMAX
Website: https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk
2. Royal Observatory Greenwich
Get ready to explore time and space at the Peter Harrison Planetarium and stand on the Meridian line at the home of the Greenwich Mean Time, all set in beautiful Greenwich Park. During this interesting day trip, you can also visit Flamsteed House, which is the Royal Observatory building, as well as John Harrison?s iconic maritime timekeepers, London’s moving panorama ‘Camera Obscura’, the free interactive Weller Astronomy Galleries and the Altazimuth Pavilion, which houses an exhibition about the Sun and many historic instruments for you to explore. To top it off, pay a visit to the Great Equatorial Telescope and perhaps even book for a night sky observation from November to March.
Address: Blackheath Avenue, Greenwich, London SE10 8XJ
Opening Hours: Daily from 10am – 5pm
Tickets: ?5.50 – ?8.50
Website: http://www.rmg.co.uk/royal-observatory
3. The Natural History Museum, Kensington
At the Natural History Museum, you can find answers to all of the big nature questions. Delve into stories about the collections, scientists and research and learn everything there is to know about human evolution, our oceans and the rise and fall of the dinosaurs. You can also discover more about museum research on the Moon, Sun, Mars, comets and asteroids. Did you know that this museum also houses one of the world’s finest collections of meteorites?
Address: Cromwell Rd, Kensington, London SW7 5BD
Opening Hours: open daily from 10am – 5:50pm
Tickets: Admission is free. There is a charge for some temporary exhibitions.
Website: http://www.nhm.ac.uk
4. The Astrology Shop, Covent Garden
If, besides all the technology and science, you’re also interested in the more mystic side of life, you might want to visit this curious New Age shop in Covent Garden in London. The Astrology Shop offers not only more than 1500 unique astrology books, but also a wide range of crystals and gemstones, tarot cards, Feng-Shui accessories, incense, dreamcatchers and personal horoscopes. Get ready to be amazed!
Address: 78 Neal Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9PA
Opening Hours: open daily from 11am – 7pm
Website: https://www.londonastrology.com
5. Science Festivals, Events and Lectures in London
Whatever your particular interest in science and space is, London has many opportunities for you to indulge your curiosity in a wide range of events and lectures throughout the year. ?’New Scientist LIVE’ is a yearly festival of ideas and touches on all areas of human life, ?Pint of Science London? is an annual science festival that brings researchers to your local pub and the ‘Imperial Festival’ features a line up of interactive science, research demonstrations, technology demos and creative performances.
There are many events for all ages organised by The British Library, Royal Society, London’s Global University and the Wellcome Collection, that are often free of charge. Interested in amateur astronomy? Join the casual meetups of the Baker Street Irregular Astronomers.
‘Nerd Nite’, with the catching tagline ‘be there and be square’ has monthly events where experts give catchy presentations across disciplines. ‘Science Showoff’ is a chaotic comedy cabaret for science lovers that love to perform. Or, if you’re looking for a more calm and casual meetup, there are events by ‘Cosy Science’ and ‘London Skeptics in the Pub’. Unique to London are also the The Royal Institution’s Christmas Lectures, which are aimed at children and teens and have been running since 1825!
Festivals:
New Scientist LIVE, Excell
Imperial Festival, South Kensington
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/festival/
Pint of Science London
Events and Lectures:
British Library Events
The Royal Society Events and Lectures
https://royalsociety.org/science-events-and-lectures/
Wellcome Collection Events
https://wellcomecollection.org/whats-on
London’s Global University(UCL) Events
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/events/
The Baker Street Irregular Astronomers Meetings
http://www.bakerstreetastro.org/meetings/
Meetups and Other Events:
Nerd Nite London
Science Showoff
Cosy Science
http://cosciuk.wixsite.com/cosciuk
London Skeptics in the Pub
http://london.skepticsinthepub.org
The Royal Institution (RI) Events
As you can see, there is so much to see and do in London when it comes to space and tech, you could spend weeks exploring and discussing the topic with others. Let us know if you?re planning on visiting London soon and which activity you?re most interested in!
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