Our Dynamic Earth
Encyclopedia
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is a prominent visitors attraction in the city, and also functions as a conference venue. It sits in the Holyrood
Holyrood, Edinburgh
Holyrood is an area in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Lying east of the city centre, at the end of the Royal Mile, Holyrood was once in the separate burgh of Canongate before the expansion of Edinburgh in 1856...
area, beside the Scottish Parliament building
Scottish Parliament Building
The Scottish Parliament Building is the home of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, within the UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Edinburgh. Construction of the building commenced in June 1999 and the Members of the Scottish Parliament held their first debate in the new building on 7...
and at the foot of Arthur's Seat
Arthur's Seat
Arthur's Seat may refer to:* Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, in Scotland* Arthurs Seat, Victoria, locality and hill in Australia* Arthur's Seat, Maharashtra, locality and plateau in India* Arthur's Seat a promontory on Otago Peninsula, New Zealand...
.
The centre opened in 1999 as one of the first major projects supported by the UK's Millennium Commission
Millennium Commission
The Millennium Commission in the United Kingdom was set up to aid communities at the end of the 2nd millennium and the start of the 3rd millennium. It used funding raised through the UK National Lottery....
. The project was the centrepiece of an urban regeneration plan which served to bring vitality to the former industrial land at the lower end of the Royal Mile
Royal Mile
The Royal Mile is a succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.As the name suggests, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scots mile long, and runs between two foci of history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle...
and is housed within a distinctive landmark building, the William Younger Centre.
The building's structure consists of a steel mast-supported membrane stretched over a steel skeleton. It was designed by architects Michael Hopkins and Partners
Hopkins Architects
Hopkins Architects Partnership LLP is a prominent British architectural firm established in 1976 by Sir Michael and Lady Patricia Hopkins. The practice has won many awards for its work and has twice been shortlisted for the Stirling Prize, including in 2011 for the 2012 London Velodrome and in...
.
The principal focus of Our Dynamic Earth is to facilitate a better public understanding of the processes that have shaped the Earth (known as earth science
Earth science
Earth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
).
The centre's Scientific Director is the prominent Scottish geologist and science communicator Dr Stuart Monro
Stuart Monro
Stuart Kinnaird Monro OBE, BSc, PhD, DUniv, CGeol, FGS, FHEA, FRSSA, FRSE is a prominent Scottish geologist and science communicator....
who was instrumental in the establishment of the facility, formulating the interpretative plan for the exhibition and working with the designers to ensure the exhibition's scientific accuracy.
See also
- Glasgow Science CentreGlasgow Science CentreGlasgow Science Centre is a visitor attraction located on the south bank of the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland. It is a purpose-built science centre composed of three principal buildings which are the Science Mall, an IMAX cinema and the Glasgow Tower...
- Science Centre in GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland. - Satrosphere Science CentreSatrosphere Science CentreSatrosphere Science Centre is a science museum in Aberdeen, Scotland. It contains exhibits aimed mainly at younger children. It attracts primary school groups around the year and its exhibits are 'hands on' so that everything can be played with and examined. The centre is a registered non-profit...
- Science Centre in AberdeenAberdeenAberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, Scotland. - Sensation Science CentreSensation Science CentreSensation is a science centre located in Dundee, Scotland, and is part of the Scottish Science Centres Network.The centre is a registered non-profit organization that is funded by the public and donations from local corporate sponsors....
- Science Centre in DundeeDundeeDundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
, Scotland.