While beloved across the North West for providing the perfect all-ages family day out, the Science and Industry Museum also offers a captivating array of exhibitions, events and even live music to entertain adults who are interested in exploring Manchester’s pioneering past, innovations of the future and ideas that change the world. From retro gaming experiences to fascinating insights into the life of Stephen Hawking, the museum’s diverse attractions promise to awaken your inner child with a dazzling mix of wonder and nostalgia.
For more information, head to the Science and Industry Museum website.
Newly open and free to visit until January 2024, the exclusive display Stephen Hawking at Work celebrates the extraordinary life of the world-renowned theoretical physicist through an array of fascinating objects from his office, such as Hawking’s PhD thesis, a wager he made with his peers on whether everything that falls into a black hole is forever lost to our universe, and an invitation to a party for time travellers that Hawking hosted – famous for reinforcing his theory that backward time travel is impossible, having sent the invites after the party had actually happened. In addition, the display includes some altogether more singular mementoes from Hawking’s multifaceted media career, including a jacket gifted to him by the creators of The Simpsons and a cast photo from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The display will also provide revelatory insight into Hawking’s links to Manchester, as discoveries by scientists in the city cleared the path to develop two of the most important ideas about our universe – quantum theory and general relativity – while his experience of motor neurone disease is explored through examples of the innovative technologies behind his wheelchair and pioneering vocal synthesizer.
For an unrivalled nostalgia trip, hands-on gaming exhibition Power UP welcomes players to rediscover the magic of gaming and revive beloved characters across 160 consoles, with hundreds of iconic playable titles from the past fifty years, including childhood classics like Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario, Pac Man and Pong, alongside newer games on the PS4 and latest-gen virtual reality systems.
Celebrating the city’s status as an innovator of modern-day travel as well as its revolutionary role in the country’s creative industries, the Revolution Manchester Gallery contains a number of significant objects which each tell a story of our city’s rich scientific history. Featuring early innovations like A V Roe’s aircraft manufacturing, the cultural influence of Factory Records, two centuries of transport innovation and the city’s reputation as a crucible of broadcast journalism, the expanded displays shed new light on pioneering Mancunians and their pivotal work from the Industrial Revolution to the present day, and offer a trove of historical intrigue for curious adults from Manchester and beyond.
The Science and Industry Museum, Liverpool Rd, Manchester, M3 4FP, 10am-5pm
www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Tue 13 Jun 2023
On Wed 21 Jun, the Science and Industry Museum invites visitors to celebrate digital innovation and creativity with an evening of art, gaming and technology set to live, experimental music from acclaimed sonic pioneers, Space Afrika.
The show features Manchester-based DJ and broadcaster Lupini, who submerges the audience in a hypnotic electroacoustic environment, before ‘algorithmic musician’ Alex McLean and artist Antonio Roberts explore the creative potential of digital manipulation with live software coding techniques. Headlining the evening, Space Afrika bring their ‘unique tapestry of innovative electronic music’ inspired by the industrial architecture of the North West, drawing on their northern, working-class Black British heritage to examine and expand the sonic palette of ambient techno.
For computer fans and gamers, Power Up – the ultimate gaming experience – will be open throughout the evening.