WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT?
So I just learnt that my flight tomorrow is cancelled due to an Icelandic Volcano spitting ash into airspace over most of Europe. Damn it. I am for sure disappointed and sad as I was so looking forward to spending the day with my wife and daughter. Looking on a brighter side, at least I am staying at my friend’s house and not sitting on a suitcase at the airport getting more and more frustrated. Oh, Mother Nature, how you can be so destructive. I find it fascinating that in today’s world where Man Kind is so amazing and so powerful how we can quickly come to a halt when Nature decides to throw a volcano eruption, tidal wave or any other natural disaster at us.

ROOOAAAR
Saturday morning we made our way to the National History Museum. This is another museum that I had no interest in visiting when I use to live here ten years  ago. in fact I walked past it to the Royal College of Art every day. I liked it so much I spent four hours there and could have easily spent another four. As the museum (as so like many in London) is free the queue (line-up) was quite long, or so it seemed. I went to ask the staff member at the front how long it would take before we were inside. He explained that it will only take a few minutes, and that this was quiet for a Saturday for some reason (everyone is probably stuck at European airports at the end of the School break).

The staff  in the whole museum were amazing, and I don’t say that lightly. They were personable, knowledgeable and very polite; everywhere,  everyone of them. I would presume that there is some customer service initiative in place with the staff, and it is working very well.  Well done  National History Museum.!

The older I get the more interested I get in History and I have heard many great reports about this museum especially the dinosaur exhibit. After a small line-up we were in, looking at actual dinosaur bones and fossils from 75 million years ago. Like so many other times on this trip I was blown away with the age of items on display, right there in front of you. These dinosaur exhibits were also quite ‘young’ in comparison to the Petrified Tree Trunk in the grand entrance to the museum which dates back 225 million years.

The dinosaur exhibit was rather amazing, not just from the awe inspiring consciousness of what you were looking at but also imagining what it would have been like being on the planet with these amazing creatures. This was helped by comparing the size of the animal to the human on the informational panels. Even the ones  which were ‘smaller’ and about our size would still make you want to run as fast as you possibly could. Either that or try to distract it by throwing it a bone like a dog, and then legging it in the opposite direction. Then again if the bone wasn’t  the size of a dog the dinosaurs probably wouldn’t see it. Upstairs were actual dinosaurs and below were informational areas looking at their time on the earth, lifestyle and different skeletal structures.

THE COCOON
The Museum has recently opened up a whole new wing  which is very modern and rather amazing. In the ‘Orange Zone’ there is the Cocoon, Attenborough Studio, Wildlife Garden and Zoology spirit building. The Cocoon was a seven storey high cocoon structure which explores “the science of nature like never. Take a self guided tour and witness real specimens, incredible displays and animated interactive activities”.

Inside it was simple and engaging utilizing modern technology to enhance the user experience. When you entered you  were greeted by a male and female ‘virtual’ scientist who would be your guide for the exhibition. They were on different screens or info panels throughout the exhibit  which really helped the user put a face and voice to the information being presented. I found this easier to absorb and less dry than just traditional type on a white board mounted to the wall. They also used the Nature Plus card system. You collected a free card and if there were any displays where you wanted to learn more you could scan your card. When you got home all you had to do was go to the website and type in the code number on the card and it would bring up all the information you requested back at the exhibit. It is a brilliant way to take the exhibition home with you and to extend the brand experience even once you have left. Loved it.

Simple projections added texture to the concrete curved wall while adding meaning and depth to that specific exhibit. Projected keyboard touch screen panels were also used to create interest for all ages, using technology to draw you into the exhibit–which was rather successful.

This whole new Orange Zone also housed actual scientists doing what they do. At different points throughout your journey in the Cocoon you had the opportunity to peak into different labs to see scientists working (unfortunately they don’t work weekends). I thought this was great exhibition design and again adding another layer of interest for the visitor.

Outside the Attenborough Studio was a large glass display all about climate change. There were many interactive panels and some that just showed images and facts. I am always a little wary of interactive panels as they are often boring and clumsy, but the usability here was intuitive and the content was very interesting and simple, driving you to a website URL to discover more.

A RATHER INTERESTING LECTURE
Inside the Attenborough Studio was this fantastic theatre showcasing ‘Nature Live’ where you can go and meet and listen to actual scientists that work at the museum. I saw a lady who spoke about fossils from the Messel Pit in Germany. Due to it’s unique conditions (calm waters and no oxygen due to the oil sands) it makes it the perfect place for incredible fossils. We saw images of fossils from this region that were 47 million years old where you could see not only them all in their entirety (as apposed to bones being scattered in different areas) but you could also see their skin and fur details fossilized. On one fossil of a bat you could even see the veins in its ears – rather amazing.

The scientist explained that until 1995 when the site at Messel (which was a retired oil mine site) when it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site it was under threat from the local city as they wanted to turn it into a landfill site. How sad this was to hear, we need to protect these natural areas  which can be the key to understanding so much about our past.

The interior of the theatre was modern and ‘rather cool’ looking. Funky and comfortable orange seating, each seat had an interactive panel for audience interaction (although not used in this presentation) and the information screens were projected on five different walls ensuring everyone could see the required information. Like elsewhere in the museum someone was using their brain, and rather than a scientist just talking to you they made it into an interview style lecture, also taking many questions from the audience. The feel was informative, intelligent (but still accessible for all intellectual types and ages) and interactive.

The main section of the lecture was looking and learning about IDA (Darwinius Masillae) that was discovered at Messel in 1983. This animal is supposed to be the missing link to explain the evolution between the monkey and mankind. The detail of the fossil like all Messel fossils was amazing. They explained how it was a young monkey and went on to explain that they know this by looking at the teeth in the fossil and could see that it still had half of its milk (baby) teeth.

The lady who was the interviewer was great at asking for questions especially from the young kids (who often asked more interesting questions than us oldies). On one occasion they didn’t know the answer so they said they would find out and email the gentleman the answer. This shocked me in a great way, what wonderful customer service.

At the end of the lecture they invited people to the front and look at some different specimens of fossils from the Messel area, and also to ask any further questions. Once again,  fascinating and very accommodating.

The whole museum had me reflect on mankind and our rather short time on this planet and how we have raped it left, right and centered! I overheard one person say “Is there anything that is not in danger of extinction”. I thought this was very poignant. If you look at all the different animals, plants and species that have inhabited the planet before mankind I find it rather arrogant if someone feels that our time is not limited here. We seem to be experiencing every year more and more effects of global warming caused by man’s greed. I wonder what the future evolution of man will read in a museum in a few million years time about our race, about our time on the planet, and all the great things we created and discovered as well as all the destruction we caused.

The museum has over 70 million samples (not all on show) including those from mammals, human biology, creepy crawlies and minerals to mention just a few.

This would be a brilliant place to visit again with my daughter. To see her face light up as she explored the many wonders of the museum would be well worth a second visit.

SEE IMAGES ON FLICKR:
part 1, part 2, part 3 & part 4

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