The Science Of...

The Science of Spying

Divided into four fascinating sections, The Science of Spying gives the whole family a taste of the equipment and techniques used in the world of modern espionage and the chance to become a spy for the day.

Comments on the exhibition have included:

• “Its blend of training in codebreaking and spotting a liar led to it being described as 'the ideal outing for future 007s' and helped boost the number of visitors to the museum by 11 per cent to 2.7 million in 2007" – The Independent
• "Very well conceived and researched...a fun and exciting experience" – Dame Stella Rimington, former head of MI5
• "It's hard to imagine a 10-year-old that won't love it" – Time Out
• "Pretty cool because of all the computers, gadgets and information." – Avery Gotchell, age 7

Spymaker Training Base

Visitors are recruited by the Spymaker organisation and go on to explore some of the skills and abilities required by real agents including testing their nerve, cracking a safe, learning to spot a liar, creating a disguise and rooting through rubbish for clues.

Spymaker Technology Centre

An opportunity to experience the latest spy gadgets and techniques - including remote-control spy planes, night-vision goggles, biometric scanning, infiltrating computer systems and the dolphin spy camera. Visitors begin to find out about the plans of the shadowy organisation OSTECK and follow the clues to uncover the secret location of its HQ.

OSTECK HQ

Visitors go undercover in OSTECK HQ on a mission to defuse the OSTECK threat. Along the way, they experience some of the latest surveillance technology and find out what it is like to be spied on as they search for a secret code, submit to the brain-scan lie detector and the latest body-scanning technology.

OSTECK Future Lab and Escape

The Future lab features a cache of prototype gadgets and products that could shape the future of spying and surveillance. Visitors use their new knowledge to thwart OSTECK's plans, before escaping through the hi-tech security systems.

The Science of Spying was launched jointly at the Science Museum, London and the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.