December's UK Game On events announced

The London Science Museum's Game On exhibition continues this month with two newly announced events. "Virtual Worlds and Cyber Friends" and "Playing to Learn" will take place in the South Kensington museum's Dana Centre.

"Virtual Worlds" will take place on December 5 and will be hosted by TV presenter Gareth Jones. The discussions will feature writer Tim Guest and academic Aleks Krotoski talking about the effect of virtual worlds on the people that play them, what the future holds for these virtual worlds, and the new ways of forming relationships.

"Playing to Learn" will take place on December 7 and be presented by BBC technology blogger Bill Thompson. Topics include the educational benefits of playing games, how video games can be tailored to meet educational needs, and the issues that arise from using games in schools.

Both events are free and will be more informal than the previous series of lectures, which included Ian Livingstone on "10 years of Lara" and David Braben on "Gaming: Now and Then." The latest slate will be for adults and take place in small groups, giving all attendees a chance to talk with all the speakers. Both events take place between 7 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. and are free, although those wishing to attend must preregister.