Machines
How is a nutcracker like a digger? They both use levers.
Levers and pulleys make work easier as they are machines that give you mechanical advantage. The longer the lever the easier it is to lift a load. In machines you can find out what a digger and a human arm have in common or how to use pulleys to make light work of a fan.

Strong Shapes
Bridges have to be strong structures to withstand enormous forces, whether the traffic pushing down, the wind or even water flowing across. Forces pushing down on a bridge squash it (compression). Other parts of the bridge are pulled or stretched (put under tension). These forces within a bridge must be acting in opposite directions and balance otherwise the bridge will collapse. In Strong shapes you will be able to walk across a suspension bridge, find out about collapsing bridges, build a big arch or your very own bridge.

Water Works
In Water works you can watch water swirl, gush, splash, bubble and trickle. Do you know how your toilet flush works, how to operate lock gates or what device is named after Archimedes? Find out here, in Water works.

Dreams of Flight
People have always dreamed of taking to the skies and soaring with the birds and after many attempts we have realised those dreams with kites, balloons, gliders, planes, jets and rockets. The first powered flight was in 1903, when the Wright Flyer left the ground for 12 seconds. In Dreams of flight you can discover how planes stay up in the air, how to make a beach ball float ten feet above the ground, and view some of the latest aerospace technology.