National Museums Scotland Listings Until 5/25 Feature SCOTLAND CREATES, POWER OF TEN, and More

The National Museums Scotland's listings until May 25th are below. They include exhibits such as Scotland Creates: A Sense of Place, Power of Ten: Inventing Logarithms and much more. There are also many activities and events for families and for adults.

Exhibitions

National Museum of Scotland

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

Mammoths of the Ice Age

Until 20 April 2014

Exhibition Gallery 1, Level 3

Cost: Adult £9, Concession £7.50, Child (5-15) £6, Under 5s free, Family of 3* £19, Family of 4* £25 (*must include at least 1 adult and 1 child), National Museums Scotland Members free, National Art Pass holders receive 50% discount

Journey back in time hundreds of thousands of years and discover the animals of the Ice Age at the first UK showing of this interactive, family-friendly exhibition. Joust with mammoth tusks, feel mammoth fur between your fingertips and touch the replica teeth of a colossal mastodon. Then meet Lyuba, a detailed replica of the 42,000-year-old baby woolly mammoth, and learn why early humans both hunted and honoured these majestic animals. This exhibition was created by The Field Museum, Chicago.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

17 March - 1 June 2014

Exhibition Gallery 2, Level 3

Free

Through the lens of wildlife photography this exhibition captures the intrigue and beauty of our planet. These awe-inspiring images, selected from 43,000 entries by amateur and professional photographers in 96 countries, give us a glimpse of the natural world as it has never been seen before. From charismatic animal portraits to dramatic landscapes and provocative photojournalism, this year's breathtaking exhibition raises the bar of wildlife photography once more, exciting loyal fans and new audiences alike. The 100 award-winning images from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2013 competition are beautifully displayed on back-lit installations, with each image accompanied by its photographer's story and technical details.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year is co-owned by the Natural History Museum and BBC Worldwide.

Power of Ten: Inventing Logarithms

28 March - 6 July 2014

Grand Gallery, Level 1

Free

Four hundred years ago, John Napier's pioneering work on logarithms enabled more calculations to be completed in an hour than had previously been managed in an entire day. From the introduction of the decimal point to the development of slide rules, explore how Napier's revolutionary innovations advanced and influenced mathematics from the 17th century to the present day.

Scotland Creates: A Sense of Place

9 May - 31 August 2014

Grand Gallery, Level 1

Free

How do we express our Sense of Place? Since 2012, young people from across Scotland have worked with staff at National Museums Scotland and at four partner museums, to explore what they felt was important about where they come from. They chose objects from the National Museum of Scotland and their local museums, for exhibitions in 2013. This final exhibition, the culmination of their project, showcases their choices and ideas, expressed through art, music, dance and films. Find out more about the Scotland Creates project here.

National War Museum

Edinburgh Castle, EH1 2NG

Next of Kin

18 April 2014 - March 2015

Free with admission to Edinburgh Castle

1914 brought war to Scotland on an unprecedented scale. How did families cope with the absence and loss of their loved ones? Through a selection of family treasures, this exhibition reveals the profound personal experiences of Scottish families during the First World War, and the methods used to remember those they loved.

Next of Kin will tour eight venues around Scotland until 2018 and will be accompanied by digital and learning resources. Each venue will develop additional content related to their local areas which will be captured and preserved in an online resource. Find out more at www.nms.ac.uk/centenary

Next of Kin is supported by the Culture Division, Scottish Government and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Events/Activities

National Museum of Scotland

Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF

For Adults

Spotlight On: Power of Ten

1 May, 14:00-15:00

Seminar Room, Learning Centre, Level 4

Free, book in advance. Book online or call 0300 123 6789

In 1614 the Scottish scholar John Napier published his ground-breaking work on logarithms. Dr Tacye Phillipson, curator of thePower of Ten exhibition, explores the late Renaissance context in which these innovations were made, and their relevance today.

Museum Lates: Retro-future

16 May, 19:00-22:30

Grand Gallery

Cost: Lates only £12/£10 Members and Concessions; Lates plus jewellery workshop* £20/£18 Members and Concessions. Book tickets online, in person at the museum or call 0300 123 6789

Step back and forward in time as we take you on a steam-powered journey through our collections, from iconic designs of the past to cutting edge technology of the future. Hosted by Radio 1's Vic Galloway, the main stage sees DJ Lord Holyrude drop some vintage beats from the 1920s, 30s and 40s, spinning original shellac recordings on his twin gramophones, before headliner Withered Hand brings us soaring back into the 21st century with his unique blend of uplifting folk-pop-rock. Make your own retro phone necklace in a Red Door Gallery workshop* and immerse yourself in the romance of Love in a... Museum. And of course you can expect the return of all the highlights you know and love -Silent Disco, face-painting, art installations and photo booth.

This event will be filmed for broadcast by the BBC.

For Families

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Family Fun

3-5 and 17-19 May, 12:00-16:00

Free, drop in

Enjoy holiday weekend activities, including crafts, stories and object handling inspired by incredible images of the natural world from the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.

Magic Carpet

Wednesday during term time

10:30 and 11:30 (25 mins)

Suitable for ages 2-4 (+ their adult)

Free - sign up on day at Info Desk, Entrance Hall, Level 0, as places are limited

The National Museum of Scotland's magic carpet introduces little ones to some of the fantastic things in the museum through 20 minutes of stories, songs and activities. Join us as the carpet visits a different gallery or theme every week. Look out for special guests too!

Magic Carpet Minis

Thursdays during term time

10:30 and 11:30 (20 mins)

Suitable for ages 0-2 (+ their adult)

Free - sign up on day at Info Desk, Entrance Hall, Level 0, as places are limited

Join the National Museum of Scotland for magic carpet sessions for really little ones and their adults. Go along for songs, stories, rhymes and objects in the unique museum setting.

Feely Fridays

Fridays during term time, 13:30 - 16:30

Free, drop-in

Feely Fridays gives you the chance to explore our fascinating handling collections - from meteorites to mammals and Vikings to Victorians! Check out information screens on the day for details.

Edinburgh International Science Festival at the National Museum of Scotland, 5 - 20 April

This spring, Edinburgh International Science Festival returns to the National Museum of Scotland to bring science to life with a brand new interactive showcase: Making It... at the Museum and a series of engaging and entertaining workshops, talks, presentations and demonstrations which the whole family can enjoy. Visit www.sciencefestival.co.uk for the full programme of events.

Science Festival family events at the Museum

Making It... at the Museum

5 - 20 April, 10:00-17:00

Grand Gallery

Free

This brand new interactive display takes centre stage in the Museum's Grand Gallery for this year's Festival. Making It gives you the chance to immerse yourself in accessible technologies and discover the maker movement. And there are lots of demonstrations and things to do: from 3D printing to giant drawing machines, and from electronics to DIY biology.

Lab Rats: Mammoth Poo Detectives

7 - 11 April, 11:00, 12:00, 14:00 & 15:00 (45 mins)

Free - limited spaces, sign up on the day with your adult helper

Suitable for ages 4-7

The Lab Rats scientists are using poo clues to track down mammoths and mastodons. Explore Ice Age environments through demonstrations and hands-on messy challenges.

Ice Ice Baby

14 - 18 April, 10:30, 11:30, 14:30 & 15:30 (30 mins)

Free - limited spaces, sign up on the day with your adult helper

Suitable for ages 3 and under

Bring your little ones for sensory science story sessions inspired by our Mammoths and the Ice Age exhibition.

Family events from the University of Edinburgh

5 - 19 April, 10:00-16:30

Learning Centre, Levels 2 & 4

Free - some events require a ticket - visit www.sciencefestival.co.uk for further information

Discover science with real scientists from The University of Edinburgh. Visit the National Museum of Scotland's Learning Centre for free, family-friendly drop-in activities, workshops and shows, covering subjects from chemistry, bio-sciences and maths, to engineering, medicine and computing.

Science Festival adult events at the Museum

Bruno Pontecorvo: Physicist and Atomic Spy?

8 April, 17:30-19:00

Auditorium

Cost: £8/£6/£4 students

Join acclaimed physicist Prof Frank Close of the University of Oxford to explore the life of Bruno Pontecorvo, a brilliant atomic physicist who defected from the West to the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. Learn about the mystery that surrounded his sudden disappearance, and his immense value for the Soviet Union as Frank opens up a world of intelligence and counter-intelligence involving blueprints of a nuclear reactor, the theft of the materials for an atomic bomb and reveals for the first time the tipoff that led to Pontecorvo's defection.

Extinct Mammoths, Endangered Elephants

9 April, 17:30-19:00

Auditorium

Cost: £8/£6/£4 students

What caused the extinction of the mammoth at the end of the last Ice Age - climate change, human hunting, or a combination of the two? Coinciding with the Mammoths of the Ice Age exhibition, Prof Adrian Lister of the Natural History Museum in London asks whether understanding the mammoth's demise can help us to conserve their close relatives, the living elephants.

Multiple Sclerosis: A Very Scottish Problem?

10 April, 13:00-14:00

Auditorium

Cost: £5

Scotland is recorded as having the highest prevalence of multiple sclerosis in the world, with around 10,000 people living with the condition. But why is this? And what might the sun (or lack of it) have to do with it? Researchers from the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic in Edinburgh explore the impacts, advances and future outlooks for this condition and Anne Brown, a Scots writer living with Multiple Sclerosis, reads from her informative and comical blog for the MS Society.

Part of Healthy Lunches

Spotlight On: 3d At The Museum

10 April, 14:00-15:00

Learning Centre, Level 4

Free (ticket required)

Meet National Museum of Scotland curator Klaus Staubermann and Tom Seatter from Heriot Watt University and discover how the Museum is using 3D printing technology to find new ways to engage with the National Collections, from archæological artefacts to working machinery and modern jewellery.

Lol-garithms!

10 April, 17:30-19:00

Auditorium

Cost: £8/£6/Student offer - £4

Logarithms are turning 400 so it's time to party! First introduced by Edinburgh's John Napier in 1614, the scale of their importance cannot be underestimated. Navigators used them during the age of discovery; scientists built theories with them in the scientific revolution and modern applications range from measuring earthquakes to forensic accounting - logarithms are everywhere. Learn how to spot one with stand-up mathematician Simon Pampena as he celebrates the 400th anniversary of the logarithmic scale. This event will be an order of magnitude more fun than you might imagine!

Supported by Edinburgh Napier University

Choosing a Healthy Future?

10 April, 20:00-21:30

Auditorium

Cost: £8/£6/Student offer - £4

On 18 September Scotland must make a decision: remain part of the UK or chose independence. Our Scotland Decides series asks what this might mean for some key science related issues and the first topic under the microscope is healthcare. Broadcaster Lesley Riddoch is joined by Dr James Mittra of the Innogen Institute; Dr Richard Simpson MSP and Dr Jean Turner, former independent MSP and Chair of the Scottish Patients Association along with policy makers and health professionals, to consider the health challenges faced by the population. They will examine how the people of an independent Scotland might want their healthcare to be provided, discussing the future of free prescriptions, medical training and hospital services.

Richard Wiseman's Beginners' Guide to... The Earth

11 April, 13:00-14:00

Auditorium

Cost: £8/£6/Student offer - £4

Prof Richard Wiseman's entertaining and informative guides are back for another year... Join Richard in discussion with earth scientist and broadcaster Hermione Cockburn (BBC, Coast) as they travel back through geological time to find out about our planet's fascinating past. Along the way discover how geology began here in Edinburgh 200 years ago, what it takes to become a fossil, who found the first dinosaur and why landscapes look the way they do.

Mammoth Poo Detectives: Lab Rats for Adults

12 April, 14:00 & 15:30 (1 hr)

Learning Centre Level 4

Cost: £3

Why should kids have all the fun? Explore Ice Age environments through demonstrations and hands-on messy challenges, and use poo clues to track down mammoths and mastodons.

Face Off: Man vs Machine

12 April, 14:00

Grand Gallery

Free - drop-in

Artist and designer Dominic Wilcox's powerful and imaginative design projects provide inspiring new perspectives on the made world. In his spare time he likes to battle against 3D printers in real-life man vs machine challenges. Watch live as Dominic and his hand-picked team of artists & designers take on three 3D printers. Can a 3D printer challenge man's natural making skills?

In Two Minds?

12 April, 17:30-19:00

Auditorium

Cost: £8/£6/Student offer - £4

As Scotland prepares for September's referendum, this fascinating event, the second in our Scotland Decides series, explores the psychology of decision-making and uncovers the factors that influence our choices. Dr Tiffany Jenkins is joined by speakers including John Curtice, Professor of Politics at the University of Strathclyde, and Dr Jan Eichhorn of the University of Edinburgh, to reveal how campaign strategies influence voters, the impact of 16 year old voters, the relationship between informed choice and unconscious bias and how our socioeconomic background can affect our decisions.

Barbed Wire Between Cultures?

13 April, 17:30-19:00

Auditorium

Cost: £8/£6/Student offer - £4

Fifty years on from CP Snow's (in)famous Rede Lecture, comedian Robin Ince asks if barbed wire still separates the 'two cultures' of the sciences and humanities. While both art galleries and science museums are packed every weekend, science is under-represented in mass media, but aren't both disciplines united by their desire to explain and express the world? Arts graduate turned science enthusiast, Helen Keen, makes one woman shows about space and robotics while Matthew Cobb is a Professor of Zoology who both studies gene evolution and paints with maggots. They join Robin to explore how art and science can together convey cosmic ideas, and plot how to tear down the barbed wire once and for all.

Stroke: Information and Rehabilitation

15 April, 13:00-14:00

Auditorium

Cost: £5

Around one in six people In Scotland will have a stroke, with about 12,500 having one every year. The damage caused by a stroke can be widespread and long lasting, and rehabilitation can be slow but it is the topic of much on-going scientific research. Join Dr Nick Ward from UCL Institute of Neurology as he explores the reorganisation of brain networks to support recovery; Lorraine Ayres, Group Developmental Manager of national charity Different Strokes and Dr Gillian Mead from The University of Edinburgh who will discuss the importance of exercise after a stroke.

Part of Healthy Lunches

Exploring Alzheimer's Disease

17 April, 13:00-14:00

Auditorium

Cost: £5/ Student offer - £2.50

Healthy Lunches continues with an exploration of Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, and one for which there is as yet no cure. Little is known about its causes but we do know that Alzheimer's disease has far-reaching impacts on patients, their families and carers. Dr Gayle Doherty from the University of St Andrews gives an insight into recent research on the origins and ways to treat this disease while Puppetry in Dementia Care author Karrie Marshall explains her belief in the role of creativity in caring for people with dementia.

Part of Healthy Lunches

Spotlight On: Minerals and Mobile Phones

17 April, 14:00-15:00

Learning Centre Level 4

Free (ticket required)

Did you know that mobile phones contain a small amount of almost all the chemical elements? Sourced from rare earth materials, their extraction and production has serious human and ecological impact. Join curator Dr Rachel Walcott and Prof Simon Harley from the University of Edinburgh to find out more.

Behind the Scenes in Science Publishing

17 April, 17:30-19:00

Auditorium

Cost: £8/£6/Student offer - £4

Join Michael Rodgers, editor of science writing classics including Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene, and author and academic Prof Peter Atkins for a glimpse behind the scenes of the world of science publishing. Discover the challenges of writing about science, the workings of the world of publishing and the process of collaboration between writer and editor that lies at the heart of a successful science book.

The Perfect Mix?

17 April, 20:00-21:30

Auditorium

Cost: £8/£6/Student offer - £4

With September's referendum drawing ever closer, there are some big questions to be asked about the future of Scotland's energy in the next of our Scotland Decides series. What is Scotland's perfect energy mix? Would independence help us to make the most of the nation's renewable know-how? Could the lights stay on in a nuclear-free Scotland, and the economics add up? Broadcaster Lesley Riddoch is joined by Dr David Toke, Reader in Energy Politics at the University of Aberdeen; Dr Paul Harding, Executive Director of URENCO; Marco Biagi MSP (SNP) and other politicians and key thinkers for a vital debate on how Scotland plans to power its future.

Supported by The Scottish Oil Club

The Blight of Ersatz Neuroscience

18 April, 20:00-21:30

Auditorium

Cost: £8/£6/Student offer - £4

The 'neuro' prefix is nowadays very fashionable. The growing interest in applying our knowledge of the human brain to different fields has resulted in the development of a number of new practices - some good, some bad, and some just crazy. Join The University of Edinburgh's Prof Sergio Della Sala as he explains how some enthusiastic scientists have over-simplified the findings from neuroscience and over-interpreted the outcome, giving rise to a number of tall tales on how the brain works.

Choose Your Scotland

19 April, 17:30-19:00

Auditorium

Cost: £8/£6/Student offer - £4

Whatever the outcome, Scotland's independence referendum will have a significant impact on Scottish life science research and innovation. The final event in our Scotland Decides series is an interactive 'Choose Your Own Adventure' style event will let you choose your own Scotland. Starting from the referendum, the audience will select a series of options, by popular vote, that will affect science, innovation and our everyday lives.

Presented by Innogen

Daily tours

Join one of our free daily tours and spend an hour exploring some of the highlights of the National Museum of Scotland.

NEW! Discover the National Museum

Daily at 11:00 (1 hr)

Venue: Tours leave from the Meeting Point, Entrance Hall, Level 0

Free

From stunning Victorian architecture to the Lewis Chessmen and Dolly the sheep, this tour will give you a flavour of all the National Museum of Scotland has to offer.

Scottish Galleries highlights tour

Daily at 13:00 (1 hr)

Free

Tours leave from the Meeting Point, Entrance Hall, Level 0

Follow the story of Scotland through fascinating objects on this highlights tour.

Themed tour

Daily at 15:00(1 hr)

Tours leave from the Meeting Point, Entrance Hall, Level 0

Free

Looking for a more in-depth experience? We offer a wide range of themed tours. Ask at the information desk or check our website for forthcoming tour titles www.nms.ac.uk/tours

National Museum of Flight

East Fortune, EH39 5LF

Open Saturdays and Sundays only until end of March.

Wartime Experience

11 May, 10:00-17:00

Cost: includes museum admission: Adult £11/£9, Child £6 (under 5 free); Family (2 adults, 2 children) £29; National Museums Scotland Members free

Watch battle re-enactments and see cavalry horses in action. Then get your hair done, learn to dance to the hits of the Blitz and find out about everyday life in wartime Britain.

Edinburgh International Science Festival at the National Museum of Flight, 5 - 21 April

What a drag!

5 - 21 April, 12:00-16:00

Cost: included in museum admission: Adult £10/£8, Child £5 (under 5 free); Family (2 adults, 2 children) £26; National Museums Scotland Members free

Drag, also known as air resistance, is the force that air exerts on aircraft which slows them down. Follow a trail around our collections to see how this has shaped aeroplanes before learning more through science demonstrations with our facilitators. The build your own model parachutist.

National Museum of Rural Life

Wester Kittochside, Philipshill Road, East Kilbride G76 9HR

Go Wild in Spring

5 - 19 April, 11:00-13:00 & 14:00-16:00

Suitable for ages 5+

Cost: included in museum admission: Adult £6.50/£5.50, Child £3 (under 5 free); Family (2 adults, 2 children) £17; National Museums Scotland Members free

Holiday fun for active adventurers, including ranger walks, crafts and photography.

Easter Sunday Fun Day

20 April, 10:00-17:00

Cost: included in museum admission: Adult £6.50/£5.50, Child £3 (under 5 free); Family (2 adults, 2 children) £17; National Museums Scotland Members free

Meet the Easter Bunny, join in the Easter Egg trail, take part in a craft session and see our new calves and lambs. Our award-winning museum and working farm will be open all day, along with our country café with its hearty home-cooked fare.

Back to the 50s

4 May, 10:00-17:00

Cost: includes museum admission: Adult £8/£7, Child £4.50 (under 5 free); Family (2 adults, 2 children) £23.00; National Museums Scotland Members free

Shake, rattle and roll to 50s music, try out retro glamour in our vintage salon, admire our period vehicles and tractors, enjoy family crafts and keep an eye out for costumed characters.

Woolly Weekend

24 and 25 May 2014, 10:00-17:00
Cost: included in museum admission: Adult £6.50/£5.50, Child £3 (under 5 free); Family (2 adults, 2 children) £17.00; National Museums Scotland Members free

Join the National Museum of Rural Life for its first-ever Woolly Weekend. Watch sheep shearing, enjoy woolly craft activities and have a go at spinning, felting and knitting.