Brunel Research Takes Center Stage at the Science Museum
Interactive exhibition hits all the right notes
Did you know what you listen to on the car radio can make you a better driver in certain environments? Or that listening to music can change hormone levels in your blood?
These are two of the many mysterious facts about the profound powers of music which ping to life in a hands-on exhibition now open at the Science Museum in London.
After a ringingly successful run at Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum, Turn It Up: The Power of Music showcases some stunning discoveries by Brunel University London’s Prof Costas Karageorghis.
“We are super-excited to see the ‘Turn It Up’ exhibition move south from Manchester to London. The Science Museum is visited by thousands of people each week and will avail the wonderful exhibits – which educate and entertain in equal measure – to a truly global audience,” said Prof Costas Karageorghis.
The kaleidoscope of interactive installations, unique instruments and pioneering inventions unravels the mysteries of music’s impact on human behaviour, emotions and thinking. The 35 different science studies and stories include the Sport & Exercise Psychology expert’s studies showing how music alters performance in sport and driving.
The family-friendly show lets ordinary people access and engage with science in a way that perhaps isn’t possible through traditional peer-reviewed articles, said co-curator Steven Leech from The Museum of Science and Industry.
“Costas’s research was hugely surprising to us, so we knew it would surprise visitors too. The findings were very rigorous, fantastically produced, all really solid science, also he works on things that are extremely relatable to all of us. Costas’s research on driving, on sports and the gym really is an amazing opportunity for us to connect with our visitors to say, this science actually affects you in your everyday life, something that you can respond to.”
Changing-room lockers open to reveal which tracks sports stars Harry Kane, Hannah Cockroft and Sir Andy Murray use to get them in the zone to compete. This exhibit illustrates some of Prof Karageorghis’ research showing how music primes the nervous system to influence muscle performance.
Another installation lets visitors sit in a driving simulator that offers two different tunes. They are asked which would be best for safe city driving and can open the glove compartment to find out and read surprising facts about the tracks and how they influence driver psychology. It’s based on findings from an ESRC project Prof Karageorghis led in collaboration with the National Transport Design Centre at Coventry University.