Top Secret: Licence To Spy - Key Messages
The Top Secret: Licence to Spy exhibition has been designed and built by Scitech in
collaboration with Scienceworks during 2004 -2005.
The exhibition is set in various locations around the world including the Sahara Desert,
Germany and Australia. A crime has been committed, a powerful supercomputer stolen,
which, if it falls into the wrong hands could destroy the world. There are four suspects,
who all have various motives for stealing the computer. Visitors enter the scenario, and,
armed with a spy file, embark on a mission to gather intelligence to solve the crime.
Each visitor is given a unique ‘spy identity’ and is identified at each computer by
scanning their ‘code’.
In total there are 23 interactive exhibits (650 sqm). The exhibits are:
Reflect the Beam Memory Test Laser Matrix
Safe Breaker Load of Rubbish Disguise Your Voice
Spy Satellite Find the Bug Guess the Password
Microdot Hidden Camera Sound Beam
Code Room Downlink Code Computer
Laser Listening Q’s Workshop
Night Vision Hidden Image
Disguise Yourself Phone Tap
Spy Theatre (real spies, Op Centre – de-brief
spies in pop culture)
Plus a Spy Database.
The Scenario
Worldwide, agencies are on the alert. Intelligence has revealed that arch-criminals are
planning a major operation. Jindalee Radar surveillance suggests unusual and
unauthorised small boat movements off the coast of Northern Australia. Meanwhile,
there is evidence of a break-in at the highly secret headquarters of Brainiac Corporation.
But are the events linked? And what, if anything, has gone missing from Brainiac?
The secretive Brainiac organization, run by the reclusive South African genius, Professor
Iwanda Wye has developed the CROWN computer. This is the first quantum computer,
more powerful than all the other computers in the world combined. Whole countries will
just have a single CROWN for all their computing needs, purchased at a huge cost from
Brainiac Corporation. The development has been kept a secret, to discourage
competition and regulators, until it is finally ready.
Not secret enough, however. There are others who are also very interested in the
CROWN.
Key Messages
1. New technology plays an important role in spying
Top Secret provides visitors with a better understanding of how technology plays an
important role in gathering intelligence. Technology is utilised by spies to obtain
information and gain an advantage over someone else. New technologies improve the
ability of spies to gather information, but also improve the ability of spies to hide
information.
For example, in espionage, spies may use technology to bug a room with microphones
and cameras. However, spies may also use technological equipment to detect and
remove such devices.
As an example, the Code Computer exhibit requires visitors to try and crack a complex
code. Just as the code is complex, the computer required to decode it is very powerful.
Technology is important not only in spy techniques, but in everyday parallels. For
example, satellites may be use to monitor and collect data, but are also used for
communication and security.
2. Top Secret exposes the science behind spy technology
Visitors understand the basis of spy technology and how the application of science in
everyday life is used to develop new technologies. By using and experimenting with spy
technology in the exhibition, visitors realise that the equipment has scientific foundation.
For example, in the exhibit ‘Reflect the Beam’, visitors use mirrors to disable laser
beams. Visitors are able to observe the effect of different types of mirrors, thus
discovering the laws of optics and their application.
Much of the technology used in espionage has some basic foundation in science and
applies simple scientific principles to design and create the technology. The ‘Laser
Listening’ exhibit uses the simple concept of sound vibrations as the basis of a laser
beam device that can detect noise at a distance.
3. The spying process mirrors the scientific process
In Top Secret, the visitor acts as a secret agent, investigating leads and slowly piecing
together events. The mission utilises a variety of tools to enable the agent to gather
intelligence.
The agent must use the procedures of surveillance, monitoring, research and
interpretation to collect a significant amount of information. In spying, not everything that
is found is useful, and not everything that is useful may be found. The agent must weigh
up the evidence and draw conclusions.
For example, the exhibit ‘A Load of Rubbish’ requires visitors to observe and analyse the
content of bins belonging to suspects and interpret this information to draw conclusions
about the suspects.
The processes used in espionage are similar to the scientific process whereby scientists
use scientific methods including observations, data collection and analysis that are
accurate, sufficient and relevant to make a reasonable conclusion about a case.
Key Words
Here are some key words to use when talking about Top Secret: Licence To Spy:
Emotive words Technical words Scientific words
Discover Surveillance Evidence
Confidential Monitoring Clues
Predict Codes Data
Query Locks Database
Intrigue Lasers Analysis
Mystery Bugs Identify
Dramatic Microdot Investigate
Crime Disguise Communicate
Top Secret Footprints Corroboration
Identity Satellites Mission
3