The new Wellcome Wing of the Science Museum, London, opens its doors to the public this week. The new £50 million extension, which the museum hopes will attract 300,000 new visitors each year, aims to cover advances in contemporary science. The ground floor gallery, 'Antenna', will consist of constantly updated exhibits - current displays include one on the Human Genome Project, and another on the use of drugs in sport.
The wing contains three galleries suspended from the ceiling, each with its own theme. The first, entitled 'Who am I?' focuses on biomedical science, and has exhibits on DNA fingerprinting, cloning and the investigation of the 2000 year-old remains of a Stone Age man. The gallery will also be home to real research projects, the first of which aims to investigate the genes involved in facial features. The second deck, Digitopolis, covers information technology, while the third In Future', examines the ways in which science may have changed our lives by the year 2020.
The wing was funded with £23 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, and £17.5 million form the Wellcome Trust.
Sources and References
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