24 Hour Museum - official guide to UK museums, galleries, exhibitions and heritage
Gateway to Over 3,000 UK museums, galleries and heritage attractions
Skip to navigation
Johnny Ball Reveals All About Ancient Games At Segedunum
By Alastair Smith
22/03/2005
The trademark smile and dazzling number trickery came into play as Johnny Ball gave a talk about ancient games. Photo: Alastair Smith. © 24 Hour Museum.
Television scientist Johnny Ball paid a visit to Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths and Museum to present a talk on Board Games, Luck and Probability as part of Newcastle Science Festival.
Organised to coincide with the Across the Board exhibition, which features the famous Lewis Chessmen and is on show at Segedunum until June 16 2005, tickets to the event were sold out.
However, the lucky few were able to discuss the history of games, their mathematical roots and possible origins, with the TV legend.
"I think it’s wonderful that you get the kids out and you show them that there is a lot more to science than there is in the curriculum," Johnny told the 24 Hour Museum. "That’s the most important thing."
Image: Shows a close up photograph of a number of Lewis chessmen pieces.
Ancient players: the Lewis chessmen. © The Trustees of The British Museum.
Both children and adults joined in with the games and puzzles, some of which were hundreds of years old.
Among the diverse subjects covered were pub games such as ‘spoof’ and ‘dominoes’, the influence of the Babylonian calendar and the use of binary numbers.
The former science and maths presenter who has written and presented 23 solo television series discussed the theories put forward in Gavin Menzies’ book 1421. In the book Menzies argued that Chinese navigators visited America as early as 1421, which could explain the migration of some games from China to North and South America.
The talk also underlined the importance of science and mathematics in education and the way that society is using science in all tasks.
Photo: Alastair Smith. © 24 Hour Museum.
"Everything is a science today," said Johnny. "Gymnastics is a science, that’s why people in the Cirque Du Soleil have been able to do things that they haven’t been able to do before. Their bodies do things that they couldn’t do until computers could analyse them and tell them how the body works."
Puzzles were also used to show children that maths can be a useful tool and by understanding number patterns they could even outsmart their parents and gain extra pocket money.
Worried parents listened as Johnny explained that instead of asking for weekly pocket money of five pounds, they could start by asking for a penny on the first of the month and doubling the amount every day.
Although this might seem like a cheaper option for parents, by doing this children could earn almost £11 million in just 30 days!
Alastair Smith is the 24 Hour Museum Renaissance Student Writer in the North East region. Renaissance is the groundbreaking initiative to transform England's regional museums, led by MLA, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths & Museum (Tyne & Wear Museums)
Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths & Museum , Buddle Street, Wallsend, NE28 6HR, Tyne & Wear, England
Open: 1 April to 31 October: Monday to Sunday 10.00-17.00
1 November to 31 March: Monday to Sunday 10.00-15.00
Closed: 25 & 26 December and 1 January
Related Articles
Summer 2008 Holiday Ideas At UK Heritage Sites And Museums
Tullie House Museum Welcomes Emperor Hadrian Back To His Wall
Mummy Shows Face After 3,000 Years At Segedunum
News In Brief - Week Ending September 10 2006
Rotten Romans Help Reading Voyage At Segedunum
SeaBritain North East 2005 - Celebrating A Region's Maritime Heritage
Across The Board, Across The Ages At Segedunum Roman Fort
E-news registration
E-mail story to a friend
Tell us what you think
Black Watch Museum Appeal Seeks To Raise £3million
News In Brief - Museums, Galleries And Heritage News
Newly-Accredited Medical College Invests In Mysterious Portrait
Photos Of WWII Codecrackers Go On Sale At Bletchley Park
Painting Returns To Queen Victoria's Dressing Room After 166-Year Absence
Cartoon Awards Ceremony Celebrates UK's Top Scribblers At Mall Galleries
Made08 - The Brighton Craft Fair 2008
Library Thief To Be Sentenced At Wood Green Crown Court Today
New Look For The Relaunched Garden Museum In Lambeth
Write Queer London Competition Holds Inspiration Day At The British Museum
Downs House Darwin Discovery Project Wins Funding Go-Ahead
British Museum Gets Set For Historic Egyptian Tomb Gallery
Stunning Wedgwood Relaunch Celebrates Potteries Heritage
Library Bid To Save Earliest Surviving Score Of Opera In English Language
Ryedale Folk Museum Lands Significant Harrison Collection
Portable Antiquities Scheme Is Fit For Purpose Say MLA
Leading Academics Call For Art Funding Support In Wake Of Titian Pledge
Glasgow Police Museum Edges Closer To A New Home
Search this site
Home Page
News Page
Exhibition Page
What's On
Trails Page
Website of the Week
Letters Page
Welsh Home
Graphical Version
Copyright © 24 Hour Museum
Information published here was believed to be correct at the time it was prepared. Welsh language pages developed with CYMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.