Competition is now closed.

Doctor Who TV has an exciting competition to celebrate next week’s launch of The Scientific Secrets of Doctor Who, published by BBC Books.

The Prize

A chance to win a copy of the book and two tickets to the special launch event at the Royal Observatory in London (You must provide your own transport). Full details below. A runner-up will get a copy of the book.

The Book

Doctor Who stories are many things: thrilling adventures, historical dramas, and science fiction tales. But how much of the science is real? And how much is fiction?

Weaving together authoritative scientific discussion with a series of new adventures by acclaimed Doctor Who writers including Jenny T Colgan, George Mann and Jacqueline Rayner, Simon Guerrier and Dr Marek Kukula explore the possibilities of time travel, life on other planets, artificial intelligence, parallel universes and more. From the dawn of astronomy and the discovery of gravity to the moon landings and string theory, the authors show how science has inspired Doctor Who, and how, on occasion, life has mirrored art, such as the 1989 discovery of ‘ice-canoes’ on Triton which were featured in the 1973 episode The Planet of the Daleks.

For example, did you know…

The creation of the Cybermen in The Tenth Planet in 1966 was prompted by two American neuroscientists who argued that astronauts’ bodies should be adapted to suit the conditions of space.

The failure of Beagle 2 to land on Mars on Christmas Day 2003 influenced the loss of Guinevere One at the start of The Christmas Invasion.

The many parallel universes that feature in Doctor Who, from Inferno to Rise of the Cybermen are inspired by a reaction to the Schrodinger’s Cat theory: that a new universe is created for each different outcome.

The startling resemblance between Amelia Pond and the Twelfth Doctor and two characters from The Fires of Pompeii isn’t simply due to the actors returning to the series: it might be grounded in science as well.

Time Lords aren’t the only beings able to regenerate – when the turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish gets ill, old, or faces danger, it can return to its childhood state as a polyp.

The Venue

Acclaimed Doctor Who novelist Simon Guerrier and Dr Marek Kukula, Public Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich will be speaking about their book at the Planetarium, in the Observatory. Using clips from the television show, they will show how Doctor Who uses science to inform its unique style of storytelling – and just how close it has often come to predicting future scientific discoveries. A Dalek will be on site for photo opportunities before the event and during the book signing.

Venue: The Planetarium, Royal Observatory Greenwich

Date: Friday 5th June

Time: 7.00-8.30pm

Tickets are £8.00 Adult / £7.00 Concession / £6.00 Child / £24 Family (2+2) and can be booked on 020 8312 6608 or here

How to enter

Simply follow us on Twitter @doctorwhotv (if not already) and tweet what you think is the Doctor’s silliest scientific invention and make sure to add the hashtag #scientificsecretsofdoctorwho

Terms & Conditions