The first area you pass through at Thinktank would be The Present on Level 2. You enter the museum from the top floor of Millennium Point. Today it is called "Investigate the Present". Usually lots of families and children here having fun (back when they were open). Several galleries up here include: Things about me, Wild life, Medicine matters and The Street.

View feature View community

The Present at Thinktank


The Present at Thinktank


The first area you pass through at Thinktank would be The Present on Level 2. You enter the museum from the top floor of Millennium Point. Today it is called "Investigate the Present". Usually lots of families and children here having fun (back when they were open). Several galleries up here include: Things about me, Wild life, Medicine matters and The Street.


The Present at Thinktank

Located on Level 2 of Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum at Millennium Point in Eastside is what is now called Investigate the Present. On my fist visit with my camera in April 2013, this area was quite busy with lots of families and their kids learning about all kinds of things up here. The second visit with my camera a year later in April 2014, it wasn't as busy so got to have a proper look this time.

 

Description below (from the official Thinktank website) of the 5 galleries in The Present:

 

Five fascinating galleries that uncover the science all around us. Here you can be a forensic detective, find out who bit the Jurassic crocodile, and explore your senses with a giant tongue.

The galleries are located on Level 2.

 

Things About Me Gallery

This unique gallery gives kids the chance to find out more about how our bodies work. Take an unusual journey into the human body and get to grips with your muscles, guts and taste buds in an amazing exploration of some basic bodily functions. Meet the TAM gang and go supermarket shopping or join them for an aerobics work out.

 

Wild Life Gallery

Explore the diversity of life and the range of habitats found on Earth. There are many animals including insects, birds and mammals, together with fossils and sensational creatures such as Giant Deer, a Jurassic Crocodile and Triceratops skull!



Family Packs

Borrow for free one of our 'Wildlife' activity packs, designed to help you explore our museums. Suitable for 3 - 8 year olds.



Medicine Matters Gallery

The Medicine Matters Gallery is all about modern medicine and medical breakthroughs. Learn about the role of Birmingham scientists in recent medical advances.

 

The Street Gallery

Uncover the astonishing science and technology underlying everyday life in a walk down The Street.

 

Things About Me

All about parts of the human body.

The googly sign of the Things About Me. Seen during the April 2013 visit.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2013) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Your mouth, tounge and teeth.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2013) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

What happens to food when it goes down your throat. Twist to draw air into the body and watch what happens to the epiglottis.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2013) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Lungs and the rib cage.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2013) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Your intestines. Can you squeeze them back in, it's a tight fit.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2013) (6).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

A close up look at the small intestine. Also your liver.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2013) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

How is your food digested? Seen in the Things About Me during the April 2014 visit.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (6).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

All about your beating heart. Interactive displays. Press the buttons.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (22).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

How do your brain and senses work? Showing the links from your hands, and your eyes and ears.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (7).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

All about your digestive system. Interact with those levers and turn the displays in front of you.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (8).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Food on the table on your plate.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (9).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Wild Life

Technically the bones and stuffed animals were found years ago, but scientists using them to learn about animals in the natural world.

Triceratops skull seen during the April 2013 visit. It was found in Montana, USA in 1908. It came to Birmingham in 1958.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2013) (9).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

A Giant Deer skeleton. This is a skeleton of an extinct giant deer. Discovered beneath a peat bog in Ireland.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2013) (10).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Various stuffed animals (taxidermy). Starting with this Polar Bear. Seen during the April 2014 visit. Ursus martimus from the Arctic.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (24).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The main one here was a Blackbuck. Antilope cervicapra from India.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (25).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

And a Leopard. Panthera pardus.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (26).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Medicine Matters

Scientific discoveries in Birmingham in this gallery.

Pikachu from Pokemon. First seen in a Nintendo video game back in 1997 on the Game Boy or Game Boy Advance. This was the famous Pokemon with a shock. Was also some Pokemon cartoons around the turn of the century (late 1990s into the early 2000s). Seen during the April 2013 visit.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2013) (11).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The language of the genes. Cracking the DNA code. Seen during the April 2014 visit.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (11).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The Immunity Maze in Medicine Matters.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (23).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The Street

Everyday things on The Street, from roadworks to recycling.

Entrance to The Street. Seen during the April 2014 visit.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Underground services. Water, gas and electricity roadworks. Danger site.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Looking down at the underground services. Gas, water or electricity.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (18).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Heading towards the Zebra crossing. This way towards Medicine Matters. Kids' City to the right.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (20).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

From the Zebra crossing on The Street, you can head over to Medicine Matters or Kids's City.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Yellow digger with coloured balls to pick up. Seen during the April 2013 visit. A boy was on the other side at the controls.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2013) (7).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Microwave energy in The Street.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (12).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Section about recycling. This machine recycles Aluminium cans.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (14).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

This machine recycles plastic bottles.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (15).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Another view of the recycling machines.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (17).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Know your rubbish! Most things you throw away end up in landfill or buried by incinerators. Some items can be saved and recycled and turned into something else.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (16).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Kids' City

A mini city for kids and families to learn together. It is off The Street to the right.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (19).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Coloured squares and triangles with numbers 1 to 21.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Victorian style lamppost in Kids' City.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

More colourful walls, and a "tree". Pictures of foxes on the right.

dndimg alt="The Present" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Thinktank The Present (Apr 2014) (21).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

 

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

Follow me on Twitter here ellrbrown. Thanks for all the followers.