Information Age–groups

Find out about the science of communication and information networks. Discover how users, as well as inventors, have influenced new technologies. Consider how society has responded to these innovations.

The gallery presents an array of objects, as well as interactive and digital experiences, in six themed zones called 'Networks':

• The Cable—telegraphy enabled messages to travel faster than people for the first time.
• The Exchange—telephony introduced new forms of social behaviour.
• The Broadcast—radio and television made mass communication events possible.
• The Web—computer networks enabled information and ideas to be shared globally.
• The Cell—mobile phones transformed the way people connect on the move.
• The Constellation—satellite communications brought global data into our homes.

This gallery is ideal for cross-curricular work, including Science, History and Computing. For Science in particular, it supports learning about the electromagnetic spectrum, waves and wavelengths, analogue to digital and transmitting information.

Gallery Guide

Download the gallery guide to support your visit. The guide includes a map of the gallery, key objects not to be missed and discussion questions to try out with your group during the visit.

This gallery is open access and you can explore at any time during your visit. We do not allocate specific time slots so you can fit it around other activities that you may have booked.

This page is for educational groups; for general visitor information, please see the main gallery page.