Equinoctial Dial, by Juan Cocart, Spanish, 1596 (Inv. 51773) This object is in the Museum’s collections.

Name: Elisa

Age: 29

Occupation: PhD Candidate

From: Madrid, Spain

Object: Equinoctial Dial, by Juan Cocart, Spanish, 1596

Story: I have found many scientific objects with this inscription “Juani Cocart me fe. 1596” (made by Juan Cocart in 1596) around the world, which make me think about science travelling through space and time!

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Colour Photograph, Early 20th Century (Inv. 28169). What has sand inspired you to do?

Name: Scott

Age: 30

Occupation: Phd Student

From: Suffolk

Object: Sand

Story: As I child I can remember playing a lot in the sand pit at home. I enjoyed making the sand damp and digging tunnels. Somehow I feel this inspired me to study civil engineering as an undergraduate, where you learn about geotechnical engineering, soil mechanics etc.

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“Chemical Magic” Chemistry Set, London, c. 1920 (Inv. 92768). Would you play with this chemistry kit?

Name: Jane

Age: 61

Occupation: Teacher

From: Oxford

Object: Chemistry Set

Story: My friend and I would go into her dad’s garden shed and play with her brother’s chemistry set. We knew we shouldn’t so we had to wait till no-one was at home. I think we were about 10 years old. I came joint first in my chemistry exam at grammar school but chose not to take chemistry and further! I eventually married a chemistry teacher.

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Selenographia Moon Globe, by John Russell, London, 1797 (Inv. 52085). Have you seen this model of the moon in the Museum?

Name: Edward

Age: 7

Occupation: Pupil

From: Aldridge

Object: Moon

Story: I really liked the gaps and the fact it that it looks like it is made from cheese but instead it is made from rock.

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Have you played with one of these? Photo credit: Science World Vancouver 2008 by Gord McKenna (License)

Name: Judith

Age: 53

Occupation: Teacher

From: Wendover

Object: Van de Graaff generator

Story: In my physics class we all sat in a circle holding hands. I don’t remember who was lucky enough to touch the generator but I can picture now the white blond hair of Joey standing on end at the far end of the line. How could that happen? Amazing!

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Age: 64

Occupation: Architect

From: Wendover

Object: Sound/light transmitter/receiver

Story: I set up a light beam connected to a tape recorder and has a lens and phototransistor on the other end of the school laboratory. Everyone was fascinated that sound could be transmitted on a beam of light and that interrupting the beam of light made sounds. Opto electronics in 1967! I should have gone into science not architecture!

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Small Roll-Film ‘Tenax’ Camera, Mid 20th Century (Inv. 47041). Matt uses cameras like this one here.

Name: Matt

Age: 28

Occupation: Librarian

From: York

Object: Cameras

Story: I always considered myself more of an artist than a scientist, but it was when I learnt dark room photography at school that I fully appreciated how much the two overlap. Suddenly I was taking a forensic and methodological approach to what I had thought a purely expressive pursuit and my results were improving exponentially.

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Clockwork Musical Box, French (Inv. 34157) This box has come from the Museum’s collections, what type of music do you think it plays?

Name: Em

Age: 20

Occupation: Student

From: Rode Island, USA

Object: Musical Instruments

Story: I am currently working towards an undergraduate degree at Brown University in my home city, in the field of History of Science. My interest is in building musical instruments and researching the historical connections between classical music and science. I am also a visual artist with an interest in documentation. I draw images of natural and scientific objects as a way of replicating their creation in a research setting.

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Did you try this at school too? Photo credit: shoots by Mycatkins (License)

Name: Sophia

Age: 5

From: Bicester

Story: We took some cress seeds. We had two groups in the light and two groups in the dark. One of the groups in the light and one in the dark got watered. The group that was in the light and had water grew. The group in the light without water grew but it was yellow. The groups in the dark didn’t grow.

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Age: 10

Object: Electronics

Story: I use capacitors, transistors and resistors, RGB LEDs and chips to build oscillating circuit alarms etc.

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