The Queen opened a new centre at the Science Museum

More than 800 GCSE and A Level students filled the grand ballroom for Science Day, which aims to inspire enjoyment and excitement in the subject.

The displays highlighted advances in fields such as medicine, engineering and space exploration.

The exhibitions included the Secret Life of Diving Mammals and How to Build a Human.

'Spectacular'

Amid the chandeliers, a replica of a dinosaur-era reptile, the pterosaur, was suspended from the ceiling. There was also a giant mosquito on display.

Professor Colin Pillinger, who headed the team that developed the Beagle space probe that was lost during an attempt to land on Mars, said the palace event was "absolutely spectacular".

"It's amazing, it looks like the place was made for exhibitions like this," he said.

Araventhy Nanthanan, 16, from Burntwood secondary school in Wandsworth, south London, who is studying A-level chemistry and physics, was among the students at the event.

What we want to show is that science is about solving problems and about explaining about the way the world works Stephen Cox, Royal Society

"It's really fun," he said. "I didn't think that everything would be so interactive. There's a lot more technology. It's strange to see it all at Buckingham Palace."

The Queen took a look inside a giant model of physicist Albert Einstein's head, designed to show the scientist's creative thinking.

Dr Saffron Townsend, of Research Councils UK, said: "We asked the Queen did she want to see a demonstration and she said 'why not'."

The Queen also met archaeologists from Channel 4's Time Team who carried out digs at a number of royal residences this summer.

Phil Harding from the programme said when the Queen was shown a picture of the canal that used to run up to Buckingham Palace in 1725, she thought maybe it should be reinstated.

Inspirational

Science Day was organised with support from the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, Research Councils UK and the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851.

As part of the day long celebrations the Queen visited London's Science Museum to open the Smith Centre which promotes Britain's scientific heritage.

The new centre brings together key figures in science, culture, academia and business to encourage greater philanthropic support for science.

Director Martin Earwicker said: "She (The Queen) said how important it was to raise the interest in science, particularly for young people, to inspire future generations of scientists."

The Queen inspects a giant Albert Einstein head at Buckingham Palace

The Queen also met some of the Science Museum's "explainers'", who help visitors understand the workings behind the exhibits.

Speaking about the day, Stephen Cox, executive secretary of the Royal Society, said: "There's the general feeling that somehow science creates problems, rather than solves them.

"So what we want to show is that science is about solving problems and about explaining about the way the world works."

He said there was a need to encourage more students to take up sciences, and that he was also worried about the numbers of people teaching subjects like maths and physics.

The day concluded with a reception at Buckingham Palace, hosted by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh for 500 members of the British scientific community including Professor Stephen Hawking.