Seven days in science - 25 August 2010

With the Bank Holiday weekend approaching and the last week of the school holidays underway, now is a good time to drop in and visit one of the Capital Science or Local Heroes exhibitions taking place across the country. From dentistry to earthquakes and astronomy to x-rays, there is something on for everyone. To find an exhibit near you visit the Royal Society anniversary events calendar. The published tour of the Brunel Museum has been changed - unfortunately the candle lit tube tour will no longer take place.

However, visitors will still have the chance to enter the tunnel shaft and descend the staircase into the Grand Entrance Hall, the huge underground amphitheatre where Brunel’s illustrious career began. For guests interested in maritime history there will also be a pre-tour Thameside walk. 

Other Local Heroes events are happening across the country, including at Lyme Regis Museum, where visitors will take the walking tour of Mary Anning’s town, and at Towneley Hall, where re-enactor’s of Sir Jonas Moore (former Vice President of the Royal Society) and Richard Towneley will discuss the latest philosophical news from 17th century London.

In other news this week, the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize shortlist was announced. The six books that make up the shortlist are essential reading for anybody who wants or needs to understand the significance of science in everyday life.

The shortlisted books are:

• A World Without Ice by Henry Pollack
• Everyday Practice of Science: Where Intuition and Passion Meet Objectivity and Logic by Frederick Grinnell
• God’s Philosophers: How the medieval world laid the foundations of modern science by James Hannam
• Life Ascending by Nick Lane
• We Need To Talk About Kelvin by Marcus Chown
• Why Does E=mc2? by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw