The Science of Aliens is a touring exhibition that launched at the London Science Museum

Science Museum (London)

The Science Museum is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. The museum is a major London tourist attraction....

 in October 2005. It was developed by a company called The Science of...

The Science of...

The Science of... is the consumer brand of Science and Media LLP, a commercial/cultural partnership between the Science Museum and Fleming Media. The Science of... tackles some of the big questions in science through exhibitions and other media projects. Their aim is to make science and...

 set up by The Science Museum and Fleming Media. Two versions of the exhibition are touring venues around the world.

Exhibition content

The Science of Aliens asks the question "are we alone in the Universe?" through a combination of artifacts, interactive and audiovisual exhibits. The exhibition has an introduction looking at science fiction archetypes before going on to look at what scientists can tell us about the real possibilities for alien life. This section explores the variety of life on Earth and the extreme conditions in which it can survive. It looks at recent missions to moons and planets in our solar system and what they can tell us about alien life before going on to examine some extra-solar planets.

The next section presents two planets and ecosystems imagined by scientists. These are used to explore the factors and parameters governing life on other planets and are presented as two large interactive landscapes. The content for this section is shared with the Alien Worlds

Aurelia and Blue Moon

Aurelia and Blue Moon are hypothetical examples of a planet and a moon on which extraterrestrial life could evolve. They are the outcome of a collaboration between television company Blue Wave Productions Ltd. and a group of American and British scientists who were collectively commissioned by...

 documentaries developed by Big Wave Productions for Channel 4 International.

The exhibition concludes by looking at the chances of communication with alien intelligences. This includes a look at the efforts of SETI and various messages sent out by humans into the Universe, and a chance for visitors to compose a message to extra terrestrial intelligences.

Development

A variety of experts gave advice on the exhibition development including Simon Conway Morris

Simon Conway Morris

Simon Conway Morris FRS is an English paleontologist made known by his detailed and careful study of the Burgess Shale fossils, an exploit celebrated in Wonderful Life by Stephen Jay Gould...

, Ian Stewart (mathematician)

Ian Stewart (mathematician)

Ian Nicholas Stewart FRS is a professor of mathematics at the University of Warwick, England, and a widely known popular-science and science-fiction writer. He is the first recipient of the , awarded jointly by the LMS and the IMA for his work on promoting mathematics.-Biography:Stewart was born...

, Jack Cohen (scientist)

Jack Cohen (scientist)

Jack Cohen, FIBiol is a British reproductive biologist also known for his popular science books and involvement with science fiction.-Life:...

, John Clute

John Clute

John Frederick Clute is a Canadian born author and critic who has lived in Britain since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part of science fiction's history."...

, Dougal Dixon

Dougal Dixon

-Biography:Dixon studied geology and palaeontology at the University of St. Andrews and is best known for his illustrated works of speculative fiction, which largely concern "zoologies of the future": his own visions of how human beings and animals might evolve in millions of years' time...

, and Mark Brake

Mark Brake

Mark Brake is an author and freelance academic. He was formerly a professor of science communication at the University of Glamorgan.- Education :Brake was born at Mountain Ash, Wales, UK...

.

See also

• The Science of...
  The Science of...
  The Science of... is the consumer brand of Science and Media LLP, a commercial/cultural partnership between the Science Museum and Fleming Media. The Science of... tackles some of the big questions in science through exhibitions and other media projects. Their aim is to make science and...
  
  
• Science Museum (London)
  Science Museum (London)
  The Science Museum is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. The museum is a major London tourist attraction....
  
  
• The Science of Spying
  The Science of Spying
  The Science of Spying is a touring exhibition produced by The Science of..., a joint venture between the Science Museum and Fleming Media. The Science of Spying opened at the Science Museum on 10 February 2007 and a duplicate exhibition opened in the Children's Museum of Indianapolis on 16 March...
  
  
• The Science of Survival
  The Science of Survival
  The Science of Survival — Your Planet Needs You is the third exhibition project from The Science of..., a joint operation between the London Science Museum and Fleming Media...
  
  

External links

• The Science Museum, London
• The Science of...