Recreating the real Loch Ness monster
A captivating journey through 200 years of art, science, and technology showing how discoveries and modern engineering are transforming mythical sea monsters into scientifically accurate reconstructions of prehistoric marine reptiles.
Talk: Yes | Workshop: No | Course: No | Audience: Public
Journey through 200 years of prehistoric sea monsters in art and science, and discover how our vision of ancient marine reptiles has evolved from imaginative sketches to evidence-based reconstructions. This talk explores how early fossil discoveries inspired dramatic interpretations of long-necked “monsters,” revealing as much about the culture and scientific limits of their time as about the animals themselves. From Victorian illustrations to modern documentaries, each generation has reshaped these creatures according to its knowledge, technology, and imagination.
In this session, biomechanics expert and plesiosaur robot builder Dr Luke Muscutt examines how artistic depictions and scientific understanding have influenced one another across two centuries. He shows how breakthroughs in geology, comparative anatomy, and evolutionary biology gradually refined our interpretations, replacing speculation with testable ideas about posture, movement, and behaviour. By tracing these shifts, the talk reveals how science corrects itself over time, steadily transforming myth-like monsters into real, living animals of the past.
In this session, biomechanics expert and plesiosaur robot builder Dr Luke Muscutt examines how artistic depictions and scientific understanding have influenced one another across two centuries. He shows how breakthroughs in geology, comparative anatomy, and evolutionary biology gradually refined our interpretations, replacing speculation with testable ideas about posture, movement, and behaviour. By tracing these shifts, the talk reveals how science corrects itself over time, steadily transforming myth-like monsters into real, living animals of the past.
