Audiences can try out body language skills after learning about non-verbal communication. Courtesy Dana Centre © James Harris.

London’s Science Museum is to help singles find love on Valentine's Day with an unusual social event at the Dana Centre.

Big Brother’s body language expert, Dr Harry Witchel, will host a free talk about non-verbal communication and the interpretation of body language at the Dana Centre before his audience embarks on a speed dating evening on February 14 2006.

“Many people jump to conclusions about the body language of others but there’s a surprising amount of error,” explained Dr Witchel, a leading scientist and award-winning lecturer on communication.

“People often psyche themselves out by misconstruing another individual’s body language as unapproachable,” he added.

“I’ll be avoiding this typical oversimplification of non-verbal communication which I call the ‘comic book’ approach. Instead we will have some fun transmitting polite but sexy or mysterious signals and learning to enjoy the ambiguity that makes flirting playful.”

Dr Witchel will explain body language in the context of an artificial situation such as speed dating. Courtesy Dana Centre.

There are 60 places available on The Body Language of Love evening, which is open to 20 to 35-year-olds. Dr Witchel will reveal the science of non-verbal communication including the different types of dating strategies.

Audience members will try ‘mind reading’ exercises and will be asked to guess whether the person opposite them is telling the truth to yes or no questions.

The discussion will be followed by a series of three-minute speed dating sessions when they’ll be able to try out their newfound knowledge and practise their body language.

Dr Witchel has appeared on numerous television programmes including BBC1’s Six O’Clock News and Channel 4’s Big Brother, where he decoded the body language of housemates.

The Body Language of Love is the latest in a series of events hosted by the Dana Centre that focus on the physical and mental well-being of visitors.

In January the centre hosted a light lounge where visitors could banish the winter blues by trying out free light therapy.