Our Dynamic Earth

Our Dynamic Earth review

Our Dynamic Earth is located near the former home of Edinburgh-born James Hutton, the so-called 'Father of Geology'. It's anyone's guess what he'd make of its ultra-modern, tent-like exterior, but he'd surely approve of its educational aims: to take visitors back to the creation of the universe nearly 14 billion years ago, then bring them forward to the present day. Tilted primarily at school-age children, it's a science museum that combines natural history with simulated natural disasters, and attempts to make geology fun.

There's only one way through the exhibition, so it's worth taking your time. Staff play different roles as you're led through the ageing world, and interactive exhibits are used to great effect: experience an earthquake simulation on a shuddering platform, touch an iceberg, and take a dizzying virtual helicopter ride around some glaciers. The scientific explanations are simplistic without being patronising; as you near the end, there are philosophical musings from French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss, Polish scientist Jacob Bronowski, and, er, Sting.

Additions in 2006 included the Earthscape Scotland gallery, which explores the country's geological history with (among other displays) million-year-old rocks and the chance to burrow to the centre of the earth. The FutureDome, meanwhile, offers a range of intriguing 'what if' scenarios, with simulated news updates that allow visitors to make decisions regarding climate change and then see how it all pans out. Once you return to the present day, there's also a café and gift shop.