Science Museum Group facts for kids
The Science Museum Group (SMG) is a group of five amazing museums in the United Kingdom. These museums collect and share incredible things about science, technology, and history. They help people learn and get excited about how the world works.
The five museums in the group are:
- The Science Museum in South Kensington, London
- The Science and Industry Museum in Manchester
- The National Railway Museum in York
- The Locomotion Museum (which used to be called the National Railway Museum Shildon) in County Durham
- The National Science and Media Museum (which used to be the National Media Museum) in Bradford
Many items from the SMG collection that are not on display are kept safe at the National Collections Centre in Swindon, Wiltshire.
History of the Museums
The idea for the Science Museum Group started a long time ago. It began with a big event called the Great Exhibition in 1851. This led to the creation of the South Kensington Museum in 1857.
Before April 2012, the group was known as the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI). The name changed to Science Museum Group to better show that it includes many different museums.
The National Science and Media Museum in Bradford joined the Science Museum in 1983. In 1984, the group became its own organization with a Board of Trustees. This meant it was no longer run directly by the government.
Later, more museums joined the group:
- In 2012, the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester became part of the SMG.
- In 2017, Locomotion, the National Railway Museum at Shildon, also joined the group.
Science and Our Planet
The Science Museum, London often opens new exhibits about important topics.
- In 2010, they opened a gallery called 'Atmosphere'. It teaches visitors about climate science. Over 5 million people have visited this exhibit!
- In 2021, they opened a temporary exhibition called 'Our Future Planet'. This exhibit explored how we can capture carbon from the air to help the environment.
The SMG also hosts online 'Climate Talks'. These are talks and events that explore problems caused by climate change. The group is working hard to reduce its own carbon emissions. They want to reach a goal called 'Net Zero' by 2033. This means they aim to balance the carbon they put into the air with what they take out, to help protect our planet.
Amazing Collections
The Science Museum Group has a huge collection of important items. These items show how science and technology have changed our world.
Some of the cool things in their collection include:
- Alan Turing's Pilot ACE computer
- The famous steam train Flying Scotsman
- Drawings and models by Charles Babbage, who designed early computers
- Dorothy Hodgkin's model of penicillin, a very important medicine
- Astronaut Tim Peake's Soyuz TMA-19M spaceship
- Astronaut Helen Sharman's space suit
- Richard Arkwright's water frame spinning machine, which was important for making clothes
You can even see over 380,000 of these items online! The Science Museum Group has a special website page called "Search Our Collection."
Who Leads the Group?
The leader of the Science Museum Group is called the Chairman. Currently, Dame Mary Archer is the Chairman. She was first appointed in 2015.
The main person in charge of running the group day-to-day is the Director. The current Director of the Science Museum Group is Ian Blatchford.
