At the weekend we visited New Scientist Live at Excel London. Having never visited before we were not sure what to expect. What we found was a lot of interactive experiences and hands-on activities for the boys. Along with the chance to see the latest innovations and latest research across a wide range of different areas. Both boys are big science fans and so were excited for the chance to take part in live science experiments. This is how we got on – New Scientist Live Review.
New Scientist Live Review
We visited on Saturday arriving around 10.30 am and managed to see a number of the interactive exhibits before it got really busy in the afternoon.
Event Practicalities
- Cost – if you purchase early bird tickets then the prices are reduced. I would suggest signing up to the New Scientist Live website and social media channels to get their release notifications. You also get discounts if you purchase in advance. For example, a family ticket for two adults and two children costs £123 in advance or £136 on the day with a transaction fee of £1. In advance children’s tickets are £19 when accompanying a paying adult which costs £48. Or on the door prices £22 and £55.
- When – The dates for New Scientist Live 2024 is the 12th and 13th of October. It is possible to also buy weekend tickets. Each year they also offer a dedicated schools’ day. This year the schools day is on Monday 14th October. Opening times are from 10 am to 5 pm
- Where – London Excel, Royal Victoria Dock. The exhibition centre is easily reached by the Elizabeth Line. Or you could plan to stay locally such as at the Crowne Plaza London Docklands Review an IHG Hotel.
Top Tips
- Arrive early. As you would expect a number of the exhibits are extremely popular. Especially those that involve simulations and so these can attract large queues, arriving early will mean you can do these before it gets too busy.
- Plan your day. There are numerous talks throughout the day focusing on the latest science discoveries. They differ from day to day as well so if you are only planning on attending on one day you will want to check these out in advance. These can be found on their website. You are also given a programme on entry.
- Bring snacks. If you are attending with young people then make sure you bring plenty of snacks and water. The queues for the catering outlets were long, and there were not many of them.
- Water Bottles. Can be filled outside in the main Excel centre rather than on the show floor. You can obtain a stamp so you can go in and out of New Scientist Live.
What will you see?
There is so much to see and do. I would allow at least a good four to five hours to experience it all and that is without adding any of the talks to your agenda. There is too much to mention it all here. But when we visited there were a few things that really caught the boy’s imagination.
- F1 Simulator – this exhibition stand was a lot of fun, with everyone getting a lap. Expect a long queue for this one.
- The Future of Food and Agriculture – sponsored by Farmers Weekly. This is a large area where you can learn all about our food system, sit in a huge tractor and combine harvester. One of the best things we did in this area was extract DNA from a strawberry.
- Hospital of the Future – dedicated to futuristic surgeries, brain health and other areas inside of the human body.
- Royal Air Force – Probably one of the most amazing exhibits, see a new RAF Red Arrows experience where you can sit in the cockpit and learn all about the controls.
- There are lots of exhibition stands we found many we loved. Including those which formed part of the world of stem. The boys especially enjoyed building different molecules and I think we have started something. With them both coming away from the event with a set each.
- The boys also enjoyed having selfies taken by artificial intelligence. There were a lot of robots across all different parts of the show.
- As well as lots of opportunities to look through microscopes at various things such as live insects and brains!
There are also lots of smaller stands all of which have an interactive game. We didnt come across one stand that didn’t have something to do.
The 4 main stages
As well as all the exhibits, there was also an incredible weekend of thought-provoking talks from some of the best-loved scientists. Covering a wide range of topics while answering the biggest questions and expanding on the latest breakthroughs. Many of the talks cover an exploration of cutting-edge ideas and science news. Broken down into four distinct areas:
- The Mind & Body Stage – covering mental health, nutrition, genealogy, organs and the brain.
- The Future Stage – science developments focusing on social connection, economics and the paranormal.
- Universe Stage – unlock the secrets of the cosmos, gravity, black holes and the weather in space.
- Our Planet Stage – look at climate change, volcanoes, dinosaurs and history.
This show is perfect for Science enthusiasts and those with a curious mind. But there is something to do for the whole family. The boys had a great time focusing on the science of tomorrow. Have you been to the New Scientist Live? Let me know about your experiences in the comments below.
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