Communicate! at the National Museum of Scotland

It’s time to Communicate! at the National Museum of Scotland:

communication:  the activity of communicating; the activity of conveying information

What Is It?

I’d like to suggest a new collection for you to see next time you’re at the National Museum of Scotland here in Edinburgh.  It’s the innovative and informative Communicate! Exhibit.

Communication has been a core feature of human evolution.  After all – what other species has developed such vast and innovative forms of communication other than humans?  This online travel magazine you’re currently reading is only one example.  We’re now able to communicate over long distances through many means and ways.  This exhibit explores many of them and tracks the evolution of communications technology.

Did You Know?

If you are a useless-trivia fanatic, then you’ll love Communicate! Especially if you like unknown tidbits and trivia about Scotland.   Some of my favourite excerpts that you can use for your next cocktail party:

• One of the most important components about our global communications infrastructure is undersea cables; they’re a core piece of the puzzle yet they are out of sight, out of mind.  Did you know that the cable connecting England and France was the first undersea cable, a simple and barely protected piece of copper wire laid in 1850?  With high speed trains and planes, that gap doesn’t seem that far now but it must have been an unfathomable task then.  The cable connecting Europe to the United States took three attempts before a successful attempt in 1866; can you blame them?  Seems like a difficult task, even with today’s technology.
• The electric clock was a Scottish invention, created by Alexander Bain in 1841.  It was the first clock not to use springs or weights to track time.  Bain was an important Scottish technician; he laid the first telegraph lines between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
• Everyone knows the first telephone was created by Alexander Graham Bell.  But did you know he’s Scottish?  He was born in Edinburgh in 1847.   There is intriguing discussion on whether it really was him that had the first telephone patent; himself and a man by the name of Elisha Gray both filed patents for extraordinarily similar devices on the same day, February 14, 1876.  Uncanny, eh?  We’ll never know what really happened, but it was Bell who took to the history books.
• Did you know the “@” symbol has a founder?  Learn all about the weird and wonderful history of keyboards, computing, and the Internet.  A man by the name of Ray Tomlinson in 1972 was creating a program for sending messages across a computer network.  For better or worse, the format is now an important part of many of our lives.

While You’re There

The National Museum is world-class and one of my Edinburgh Favourites.  Their best exhibit about Scotland that I’ve ever seen is the Scotland: A Changing Nation exhibit.  A truly exemplary view into the history of Scotland with lots of tidbits on the history of Edinburgh.  It is upstairs and very worthwhile of your time after checking out Communicate!

When you’ve finished, pop into the upstairs restaurant for a drink but don’t miss out on the great view from the restaurant terrace!

And Another Insider Tip:  Ask for directions on this one if you need to, as it is kind of hard to find, but there’s also a rooftop deck with additional sculpture artwork.  The National Museum is fantastic place to just poke about and see what’s on.  Never a dull moment in this place.

Important Info

The Museum of Scotland is located in the Old Town of Edinburgh, at the corner of Chambers Street and George IV Bridge which offers easy walking access from the Royal Mile.

Access is always free except for occasional charges for special exhibits.

Open Daily: 10:00-17:00 (closed Christmas day).

For further info, visit the official National Museum of Scotland website.

Photo by Ingy the Wingy