Gallery talks at the Science Museum

30 July 2012, 11am, 3pm & 4pm

Join Science Museum curators for a series of guided tours of their galleries.

11am & 4pm: Making the Modern World
Our history is embedded in the objects that we have invented, made and used. The Making the Modern World gallery displays a series of exceptional objects which mark new departures in technology and science – the events that have framed our world. Join Jane Insley (11am) & Doug Millard (4pm) for a personal introduction to such iconic items as Stephenson's original Rocket locomotive, Babbage's Difference Engine No. 1 and Crick and Watson's DNA model. These objects and many others are laid out in a chronological sequence that, in effect, comprises a cultural history of industrialisation from 1750 to the present day.

3pm: Codebreaker - Alan Turing's life and legacy
Alan Turing is most widely known for his critical involvement in the codebreaking at Bletchley Park during the Second World War. But Alan Turing was not just a codebreaker. This British mathematician was also a philosopher and computing pioneer who grappled with the fundamental problems of life itself. His ideas have helped shape the modern world, including early computer programming and even the seeds of artificial intelligence. This exhibition tells the story of Turing and his most important ideas. Join the Science Museum and Tilly Blyth in our celebration on the centenary of the birth of this pioneering British figure.