HisDarkMaterials.org

IGN reports on the Golden Compass game: It was stressed how much more expansive the game will be than the movie. The Golden Compass will take place over 11 levels, and will allow players to explore many of the locations that they only manage to catch a quick glimpse of in the film. What's more, two of the levels of the title will be exclusive to the game, and will feature locations pulled directly from the His Dark Materials universe.

The three characters that players will use will have different abilities available to them as well. Lyra will have the option to use the alethiometer to solve puzzles, as well as unlock bonus content and acquire various power-ups. Players won't have to decipher the device's symbols and answer its questions to proceed through the game, but if they do, they'll receive an advantage over certain sections. Pan, on the other hand, will need to use his shape shifting abilities to maneuver around environmental challenges, while Lorek will need to use his size and clawing abilities to defeat opponents.

The Golden Compass First Look

SEGA's latest action game hones in on a popular children's franchise.

Children's books are often sources for movies and video games. The Polar Express and Meet the Robinsons were both novels that were both depicted across both mediums, and obviously Harry Potter does well in either format. The latest novel to receive a movie and game treatment is Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass, from the His Dark Materials trilogy. While New Line is preparing to release the movie this Christmas, SEGA is working hand in hand with them to develop the game. We managed to get a small glimpse of the game at a recent event and came away with new impressions.

The novel of the Golden Compass is set in an alternate universe similar to our own, and follows the adventures of a young girl named Lyra as she journeys from England to the far north to save a kidnapped friend of hers. Fortunately for her, she's not alone in her quest, as she's accompanied by her shape shifting demon Pan and an armored bear named Lorek, who'll help her search for her friend. Lyra also has a special item known as an alethiometer, which helps her find out the truth about people that she interacts with.

One thing that SEGA and Shiny Entertainment have been working with New Line on closely is transitioning the movie world over into the game world. In fact, a representative from SEGA was on the set of the film every day from the opening shot to the wrap of the project, taking footage of set pieces and items that were immediately sent to the developers to implement into the game. The result should be a title that's almost 100% accurate to the vision of the movie on the silver screen, even though the game will be out a little bit before the movie. Since it will include some footage of the film as well, fans will be able to get a sneak peek of The Golden Compass when they play the game before they see it in theaters.

However, it was stressed how much more expansive the game will be than the movie. The Golden Compass will take place over 11 levels, and will allow players to explore many of the locations that they only manage to catch a quick glimpse of in the film. What's more, two of the levels of the title will be exclusive to the game, and will feature locations pulled directly from the His Dark Materials universe. The three characters that players will use will have different abilities available to them as well. Lyra will have the option to use the alethiometer to solve puzzles, as well as unlock bonus content and acquire various power-ups. Players won't have to decipher the device's symbols and answer its questions to proceed through the game, but if they do, they'll receive an advantage over certain sections. Pan, on the other hand, will need to use his shape shifting abilities to maneuver around environmental challenges, while Lorek will need to use his size and clawing abilities to defeat opponents.

Waterstones is inviting readers to vote for their favorite book of the past 25 years, out of a list of 100 on their site. Northern Lights is one of them.

Voting has, strangely, reopened! Voting has ended again.

MonstersandCritics.com has added the new official teaser poster to its website.  The poster shows Lyra holding the alethiometer, with Iorek looming over her.  The tagline is "There are worlds beyond our own - the compass will show the way."

See the high-resolution version of the poster.

StarGazette.com reports: About 15 minutes of footage [of The Golden Compass] will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off May 16. That's the same buzz-generating strategy used for 2001's "Fellowship of the Ring." Richards is expected to attend the festival, along with writer/director Chris Weitz ("About a Boy") and co-stars Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott and Eva Green. But Nicole Kidman, who plays the mysterious Mrs. Coulter, will be busy shooting another film.

Hype begins for epic trilogy 'Golden Compass'

A teaser poster will start showing up in theaters May 4 featuring heroine Lyra (British newcomer Dakota Blue Richards) and her protective daemon, ice-bear Iorek.

About 15 minutes of footage will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival, which kicks off May 16. That's the same buzz-generating strategy used for 2001's "Fellowship of the Ring." Richards is expected to attend the festival, along with writer/director Chris Weitz ("About a Boy") and co-stars Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott and Eva Green. But Nicole Kidman, who plays the mysterious Mrs. Coulter, will be busy shooting another film.

The first teaser trailer will set sail May 25, along with "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."

Those who can't wait can get in the mood by getting their own daemon bodyguard at GoldenCompassMovie.com. Click on "Meet Your Daemon." You might be paired with Myron the tiger or Aspasa the gibbon.

Time writes: "Being a fan helps with the tricky business of winning over fanboys of established franchises, who tend to be a protective bunch. When Chris Weitz was tapped to direct this fall's His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass, an adaptation of the first book in Philip Pullman's fantasy series, starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, the About a Boy director made the mistake of going online and reading a poll of fan reaction. "I had just barely beaten 'nobody' as the person who would be the best director for the series," says Weitz, who eventually invited some fans onto the set and proved his fanboy bona fides."

It's funny that Weitz forgets to mention that Tom Stoppard beat 'nobody' as well as him in our poll back then. Luckily, as the article mentions, Chris Weitz has been able to prove his dedication to the project since then.

Our Italian friends over at Queste Oscure Materie.it alerted us of a blog that says they have reliable information that reshooting parts of The Golden Compass has begun just last Thursday. While we do not have confirmation, it is quite notable and it does raise questions. Are they just perfecting the movie, reshooting a few scenes that they weren't completely happy with or are they perhaps changing parts of the story?

Furthermore, Queste Oscure Materie were at a conference in Bologna where Philip Pullman's book The Broken Bridge (which was recently translated to Italian) was promoted. They were able to record and transcript the discussion that was held there. The full transcript is available in English, and there are a few pictures too.

The Daily Record reports in an article about what items are predicted to rise in value on eBay, that "eBay also recommend merchandise from the forthcoming movie The Golden Compass, based on Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy," and places Golden Compass film memorabilia in sixth place out of ten types of items to hold on to for later eBay sales.

BRICK OF THE BUNCH

Net guide on what to keep

They were bulky, heavy and - compared to today's small, slim and smart mobile phones - thick as a brick.

But if you happen to own a Motorola mobile from the late 80s, you could be in the money.

Nicknamed The Brick because of their unwieldy bulk, the mobiles top a list of most desirable items in a study of collectables by internet auction site eBay.co.uk.

The fact that many of the first models were sent back when their owners upgraded them makes the Brick phones even rarer.

And while the Millennium Dome may have been an expensive white elephant for the Government, it could provide a profit for anyone who visited the gift shop on the way out.

Second in the eBay list is Dome merchandise - however cheap and nasty it may seem - from drinks mats to paperweights.

EBay's Guide To Hidden Treasure, by TV collecting expert Jamie Breese, says: "The merchandise was plentiful. If you have any, hold on to it."

Even giveaways which may seem tacky and worthless when they came out could be much sought-after in years to come, such as Starbucks Coffee cards and a piggy bank freebie for NatWest bank customers.

The Starbucks Coffee card is a prepay card. You put money on it and then buy coffee with the card until it runs out.

Some are limited-edition and are selling on eBay for up to £40 each.

Starbucks Coffee cards are now given away to customers but eBay say even they could become valuable in the future because of the iconic status of the brand.

The eBay guide says gold "Annabel" piggy banks given out by NatWest this year could become very collectable, as so few were awarded as competition prizes.

Toys made by Robert Harrop relating to cult TV shows and cartoon characters are soaring in value. A musical box that sold in the shops for £34.95 has recently been bought online for £1000.

EBay also recommend merchandise from the forthcoming movie The Golden Compass, based on Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy.

And anything connected to New Labour before they go out of power is also hotly tipped.

Early iPods will be worth more in years to come as they are superceded by new models, along with the first iPhones to be released later this year.

EBay say that, in both cases, they will be even more valuable to collectors if they are kept sealed in their original packaging and boxes.

The site also recommends keeping hold of any souvenirs issued by eBay itself, such as branded mugs and other items which sometimes have a limited run for sale.

So be careful what you are throwing out next time you clear the loft.

Items from the recent past including Action Man toys, the Sinclair ZX series of computers and old comic annuals have commanded top prices with nostalgia buffs.

TOP TEN

1. Early mobile phones such as Motorola and Nokia in unopened boxes.
2. Millennium Dome souvenirs.
3. Starbucks Coffee cards.
4. NatWest gold Annabel piggy bank.
5. Robert Harrop toys relating to cult or children's TV shows.
6. The Golden Compass - anything connected to the forthcoming movie.
7. iPods - new, boxed and sealed first models.
8. iPhone - long-awaited Apple mobile, in an unopened box.
9. 1990s memorabilia - in particular New Labour items.
10. EBay merchandise - postcards, mugs, mouse mats.

ChampionNews.com reports: Christian teachers have criticised a public reading scheme which urges children to read what they say is an 'anti-church' book. 

Sefton Council want young people all over the borough to pick up Philip Pullman's Northern Lights - a novel which is seen by some faith groups as anti-Christian propaganda. The event - the Big Read - is a mass reading session, and this is the first time Sefton are taking part.

Council encourage children to read 'anti church' book

Christian teachers have criticised a public reading scheme which urges children to read what they say is an 'anti-church' book.

Sefton Council want young people all over the borough to pick up Philip Pullman's Northern Lights - a novel which is seen by some faith groups as anti-Christian propaganda. The event - the Big Read - is a mass reading session, and this is the first time Sefton are taking part.

Rupert Kaye, the chief executive of the Association of Christian Teachers said: "Northern Lights has been written for a purpose which goes far beyond the author's desire for critical acclaim or financial reward. It's been written with the self-avowed aim of discrediting Christianity, undermining the church and attacking God.

"In Northern Lights (which is part of the 'His Dark Materials' trilogy) the church is portrayed as an evil and repressive organisation which, from time to time, allows the abuse of children in furtherance of its early goals."

A spokesman for Sefton Council - which covers Southport, Formby, Maghull, Crosby and Bootle — said: "The Sefton Big Read scheme aims to encourage people to pick up a book and discover the fun of reading.

"The Northern Lights is a widely-acclaimed book which has received international praise and sold millions of copies worldwide. It is still in the top 100 book chart. It is a fantasy novel, which is being made into a blockbuster movie, due for release later this year.

"Supported by many educators and education organisations, it is aimed at young people aged 11-plus and is often used for study in secondary schools across the country."

But Rupert Kaye added: "As a Christian teacher I find it particularly odious that Pullman's bitter and twisted trilogy has been marketed and sold as children's literature and desperately sad that so few Christians have taken the time to see Pullman's work for what it is - anti-Christian propaganda."

Metro.co.uk reports: A new interactive feature called Meet Your Daemon has been launched by New Line Cinema on its official website for the upcoming film The Golden Compass. The new feature, at GoldenCompassMovie.com, allows users to discover exactly what daemon best represents their personality, and then allows them to take their daemon avatar with them by embedding it on their own website or MySpace page.

Golden Compass unveils interactive feature

A new interactive feature called Meet Your Daemon has been launched by New Line Cinema on its official website for the upcoming film The Golden Compass.

Based on author Philip Pullman's best-selling and award-winning novel, The Golden Compass, due for release on December 7, is an exciting fantasy adventure, set in an alternative world where people's souls manifest themselves as other creatures.

The cast includes Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Ian McShane and newcomer Dakota Blue Richards and is written and directed by About A Boy's Chris Weitz.

The new feature, at www.goldencompassmovie.com allows users to discover exactly what daemon best represents their personality, and then allows them to take their daemon avatar with them by embedding it on their own website or MySpace page.

"This feature lets you personally experience one of the most unique and engaging elements of The Golden Compass," says Gordon Paddison, Executive Vice President, New Media Marketing.

"You can identify your daemon and then share it with your friends and social networks on a variety of digital platforms."

Sega recentely featured some new screenshots of the upcoming The Golden Compass game. They include a scene with Lyra running on rooftops and an overview of Lyra's Oxford. The earlier scene where Iorek fights of wolves was updated with an character interface, showing something what could be a life- or strength bar, weapons and such.

Thanks to Marco Ch

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: TUCKED BEHIND THE gargoyles in the vestibule of Oxford Town Hall, Philip Pullman signed his name. Not once, but at least 400 times. Perhaps 500.  Jolly and avuncular at first, the author of the best-selling His Dark Materials trilogy became tetchy as the last autograph hunters lined up, thrusting scraps of paper at him, rather than one of his books.

Who could blame him for wanting to bolt? For the previous 90 minutes he had addressed an Oxford Literary Festival audience of 600 - more men and boys than women and girls - about The Golden Compass, the film adaptation of Northern Lights, volume one of the award-winning trilogy.

Dark world comes to life

TUCKED BEHIND THE gargoyles in the vestibule of Oxford Town Hall, Philip Pullman signed his name. Not once, but at least 400 times. Perhaps 500.

Jolly and avuncular at first, the author of the best-selling His Dark Materials trilogy became tetchy as the last autograph hunters lined up, thrusting scraps of paper at him, rather than one of his books.

Who could blame him for wanting to bolt? For the previous 90 minutes he had addressed an Oxford Literary Festival audience of 600 - more men and boys than women and girls - about The Golden Compass, the film adaptation of Northern Lights, volume one of the award-winning trilogy.

It stars Nicole Kidman as the seductive and terrifying Mrs Coulter, who slithers about in a gold-sequined dress, her hair in the style of a 1930s movie star. Her co-stars are James Bond star Daniel Craig, Bond girl Eva Green and a 12-year-old with the exotic name of Dakota Blue Richards as the heroine, Lyra Belacqua.

The books have sold 14 million copies in 40 countries and more than half a million copies in Australia. The pre-release hype has The Golden Compass as the next Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter combined. Its extraordinary visual effects include a huge menagerie of computer-generated animals that accompany the actors as they move from Oxford to the mysterious North, where children are held captive for sinister purposes.

Before the festival session began, Pullman told me filming was completed at Oxford and at Shepperton Studios in January, while the next few months would be devoted to the complex visual effects.

Images from the film released so far, and a promotional trailer on YouTube, reveal its two worlds as an Oxford of the 1920s with sci-fi elements, and the North as a parallel universe populated by witches and speaking bears clothed in armour. There is also a compass - the alethiometer - that tells the truth and which only Lyra can understand.

The $US150 million ($181 million) movie looks set to be box office gold for producer New Line Cinema, which also produced The Lord of the Rings. A screening of some of the footage will be shown to journalists and distributors next month at the Cannes Film Festival.

In the scraps of pre-publicity released to date, Daniel Craig says he is clinging to Pullman's original text "by his fingernails" and working especially hard not to have the author's religious views watered down.

"The thing is," Craig says, "having spoken to Philip at length - there's nothing anti-religious about this film. It's anti-establishment in a big way and anti-totalitarian and anti-controlling. But essentially it's a film about growing up and how difficult that can be."

For the moment, New Line is keeping publicity to a minimum but Pullman and one of the film's producers, Deborah Forte, spilled some of the secrets to the Oxford Festival faithful. They appeared with the film's visual effects supervisor, Michael Fink, (who directed the first Coca-Cola polar bear TV spot in the '90s, and has since worked on Constantine, Braveheart, Batman Returns, X-Men and X 2) who showed footage of the zeppelin (or "sky ferry") that will transport Mrs Coulter, and two of the animals that are part of Lyra's menagerie.

Forte, a woman of steely determination, described The Golden Compass as "the first full-scale fantasy film that has stars in it". She discounted Ian McKellen in The Lord of the Rings, as "he is not a big-budget star".

Forte and Pullman had a "dream casting session" a decade ago, when she negotiated an option to Pullman's work, to which Pullman added: "I always wanted Nicole Kidman for her extraordinary quality of being warm and cold, terrifying and seductive."

He also envisaged Laurence Olivier, circa 1945, as Lord Asriel, a role eventually taken by Craig because Olivier "wasn't available".

The Golden Compass story begins at the fictional Jordan College, based on Exeter College, Oxford, where Pullman studied English and later returned to teach. He wrote his books in Oxford, in what he calls "a filthy abominable tip" of a garden shed at home.

Pullman said director Chris Weitz filmed scenes at the main quadrangle within Oxford's largest college, Christ Church, but not in the main hall there. That beautiful room had already been used for Harry Potter.

Oxford breeds mystery writers and fantasists. It's a city, as Oscar Wilde said, where "one sees the shadow of things in silver mirrors". So it seems completely right that The Golden Compass was filmed partly in Christ Church, the college of Charles Dodgson, who as Lewis Carroll wrote Alice in Wonderland.

Both Alice and The Golden Compass are set in two worlds: in peaceful England and in places where anything can happen - where animals talk and certain women have murder on their minds. Other Oxonians in this literary family are J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.

Although Lewis's and Pullman's religious beliefs are radically different, Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia shares much with The Golden Compass: talking animals, witches and child protagonists travelling to fantasy worlds. But Pullman's coup is all his own: the daemon, pronounced "demon". In The Golden Compass, almost everyone has a daemon, an animal that is another version of the person to whom they belong. They feel the same things, mentally and physically.

The daemon is an idea borrowed from Socrates, who believed he had a divine presence within himself. He called it a "daimon" and it would warn him if he was about to do something bad.

In the vast community that populates online His Dark Materials fan sites such as Bridge to the Stars, members with names such as Aletheia, Merlyn and Dragon of Heaven discuss trilogy esoterica, such as: "What do people's daemons do when their humans have sex?"

For Pullman, the daemon was also a great literary device. As he told the Oxford audience: "The moment I thought of daemons was on the 16th draft of the first chapter. Before that I had to tell the reader what Lyra was thinking. I realised then I didn't have to explain so much. You don't need exposition. Exposition kills the flow of the narrative.

"The best advice ever given to a writer was by Raymond Chandler, who said, 'When in doubt, have a man come through the door with a gun.' This works. If you're stuck with the story, it moves it on like nothing else."

Lyra's daemon, Pantalaimon, "was my man coming through the door with a gun. It was a wonderful moment when I realised that."

Since Northern Lights was published in 1996, Pullman has won many awards and seen that book, and his subsequent two volumes, adapted for two productions at the National Theatre in London, as well as for audio books and a BBC Radio 4 production.

As president of Scholastic Media, a division of children's publishing and media company Scholastic Corporation, Deborah Forte spends her life trawling for children's books to adapt for other media. She saw Northern Lights in manuscript form and decided that "wherever [Pullman] is going, I want to go".

The first screenwriter chosen to adapt the book was Tom Stoppard, but to the horror of many Pullman fans, Stoppard was fired when Chris Weitz (American Pie, About a Boy) was hired as director. Stoppard said at the time: "As far as I was made aware, New Line Cinema and Philip Pullman all liked it [the script]. Then Chris Weitz got the job. And he likes to write his own scripts."

Forte said at Oxford that "Tom is a brilliant writer" but the studio decided against him. She would not go into detail, but added: "When you're producing a film, you know you can't hold the audience for too long. It's all about making condensed choices."

Pullman chimed in: "I liked what Tom Stoppard wrote very much but I could see the studio's point of view." Reading between the lines, it seems that Stoppard took the story into more complicated realms than New Line thought wise for a teenage audience.

Weitz's path was equally bumpy but he remained on board. At one point he resigned as director, citing technical challenges. The resignation followed an article in The Times that claimed the religious elements of Pullman's work would be toned down, as New Line wanted to ensure the film did not have problems at the American box office.

The British director Anand Tucker briefly replaced him but Weitz eventually returned. Why the revolving door? Forte replied at Oxford: "Weitz realised he made a mistake in pulling out and we gave him a second chance, and he took it.

"Our mantra for the script was 'stick with Lyra'," Forte told the audience, while Pullman said when it came to this movie, "less is more. It's not about bears, it's not about fantasy, it's all about Lyra and her parents."

Dakota Blue Richards (her mother is an American anthropologist, which might explain the name) had never acted before she was cast in the role of Lyra.

"We didn't want an experienced actress," Forte said. "Since she's in every scene but one, that's a big risk. We did four casting calls, had 10,000 girls show up. It was very daunting ... 9999 will be disappointed.

"The irony was that in the first casting session in Cambridge, the most promising candidates emerged. The auditions of the best 40 were put on DVD and sent to Philip," Forte said. "He called me 24 hours later and said, 'I think it will be one of two'. And more than 9000 girls later, it was one of those two."

In the months since filming ended, the big challenge has been to find the balance between the actors and the visual effects. "The unique thing in this film is that the visual effects need to be subtle, because of the daemons," Forte believes. But the effects are already looking astonishing, as the trailer shows. Forte said simply, "Technology has caught up with Philip's imagination."

If it works, the Pullman express could go on forever. "We have a screenwriter working on the second story [in the trilogy]," Forte said, "and an outline for the third."

And Pullman is working on a new Lyra book, The Book of Dust, which will be published in a couple of years or whenever he gets a long spell away from the autograph table.

By the way, his own daemon, Pullman said, is a raven.

BBC reports: Philip Pullman's Northern Lights has been selected as one of the greatest children's books, but CS Lewis and Terry Pratchett have been omitted.

The UK's oldest award for children's writing, the Carnegie Medal, has selected 10 former winners to mark the 70th anniversary of the award.

The voting booths just opened, so cast your votes here!

'Great' children's books revealed

Philip Pullman's Northern Lights has been selected as one of the greatest children's books, but CS Lewis and Terry Pratchett have been omitted.

The UK's oldest award for children's writing, the Carnegie Medal, has selected 10 former winners to mark the 70th anniversary of the award.

Other contenders include Mary Norton for The Borrowers and Philippa Pearce for Tom's Midnight Garden.

The winner, voted for by the public, will be announced on 21 June.

Other famous writers not in contention include JK Rowling and Jacqueline Wilson as neither have won the Carnegie Medal.

The shortlist for this year's Carnegie Medal has also been announced.

The six authors are: Kevin Brooks for The Road of the Dead, Siobhan Dowd for A Swift Pure Cry, Anne Fine for The Road of Bones, Meg Rosoff for Just In Case, Marcus Sedgwick for My Swordhand is Singing and Ally Kennen for her debut novel Beast.

As usual, children's librarians will vote for the winner.

"All six titles are sophisticated and thought-provoking," said Ian Dodds, chair of the judges.

"They are books that will have a lasting impact on their readers," he added.

THE CARNEGIE TOP 10

• Storm by Kevin Crossley-Holland
• A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly
• The Owl Service by Alan Garner
• The Family From One End Street by Eve Garnett
• The Borrowers by Mary Norton
• Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
• Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
• The Machine-Gunners by Robert Westall
• Skellig by David Almond
• Junk by Melvin Burgess

Thanks to Claire Squires and the kind people at Continuum Books we are giving away a copy of Philip Pullman, Master Storyteller.

All you have to do is prove your storytelling skills by writing a 500-1000 word His Dark Materials related story. It can be about any character, or any location, as long as it pertains to His Dark Materials.

The deadline is May 31st, so you have ample time to come up with a worthy tale.

You can send your entry to admin@hisdarkmaterials.org, one submission per member.

Always wanted to play in a Philip Pullman movie but The Golden Compass just didn't work out? Then here's your chance.

Star in the film adaptation of Philip Pullman's critically acclaimed bestseller The Butterfly Tattoo.

There will probably be auditions in Oxford and Manchester at the end of this month.

In the mean time, you can submit your casting application online.

The Observer reports: Plans for Britain's first tourist attraction dedicated to climate change and how humans will live with increasing temperatures will be unveiled this week at the Eden Project in Cornwall.

Inside the new £67m building, called The Edge, will be a hypothetical country, based on dry tropical regions, with examples of how past civilisations dealt with massive changes in climate, how current societies are learning to cope with global warming and what people might have to do in future to survive when energy, water and other vital resources begin to run out. Underneath will be chambers of light and dark, with displays designed by famous names including musician Peter Gabriel and the author Philip Pullman to give visitors different sensory experiences.

£67m Eden project will show the perils of a warmer world

Plans for Britain's first tourist attraction dedicated to climate change and how humans will live with increasing temperatures will be unveiled this week at the Eden Project in Cornwall.

As Britain basks in unseasonably warm spring sunshine, temperatures this weekend are expected to hit 25C as warm air from the Azores covers the country, the founders of Eden's 'biomes' - giant plant-filled bubbles - want to build a new area to allow people to explore what life will be like when weather patterns push humans to invent new ways of living.

The £67m building, called The Edge, will not be a semi-spherical greenhouse like the existing two structures, but the same designers hope the undulating, super environmentally friendly structure will be just as much of a talking point. Green innovations include indoor 'wind' turbines powered by the updraft of air heated through the greenhouse-like roof and the most up-to-date designs to collect and recycle water. The building will generate its own light from the turbines and heat from stored warm air.

The plans will be submitted by the end of May to the Big Lottery Fund, which has shortlisted The Edge and five other projects for a contest for up to £50m to be decided by viewers after a TV series, probably this winter.

Inside the new building will be a hypothetical country, based on dry tropical regions, with examples of how past civilisations dealt with massive changes in climate, how current societies are learning to cope with global warming and what people might have to do in future to survive when energy, water and other vital resources begin to run out. Underneath will be chambers of light and dark, with displays designed by famous names including musician Peter Gabriel and the author Philip Pullman to give visitors different sensory experiences.

Early ideas for The Edge include a wall of keys, from shed doors to a death chamber; a room filled with voices speaking about love in every language; and connecting corridors which force people to navigate using different senses, possibly bare feet or sound.

There will be plenty of plants, but Eden's latest - and last - zone will be very different, says Tim Smit, the co-founder and chief executive. 'The biomes we already have are a shop window for the world, plants and human dependence on them,' says Smit. 'We'll be inverting [that]: looking at us rather than the plants, looking at humans and what it is to be human.'

Eden caused a sensation when it opened six years ago, when visitors peaked at 1.8 million. Numbers have levelled off at just below 1.2 million visitors a year - but it is still one of England's top 10 paid-for attractions.

Eden staff hope that The Edge could tap into the zeitgeist as successfully as the centre's original recipe of education and entertainment.

Weather forecasters promise the recent mini-heatwave should continue this weekend and after a brief cool patch should return again later this week.

Last week the Met Office predicted another summer of above-average temperatures, after a spate of record-breaking years, while earlier this month the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued an apocalyptic warning of future mass migrations fuelled by loss of fertile land, droughts, rising seas and more intense storms - the very problems The Edge would address.

Despite some of the best environmental credentials of any organisation in Britain, Eden has been criticised in the past for not doing more to promote the issue of climate change.

Now the Cornish attraction will have to tread a fine line between educating visitors about their effect on potentially catastrophic climate change and not turning people away by lecturing or overwhelming them. It will also be entering the controversial tussle between environmental campaigners and climate change sceptics over how to present 'balanced' evidence - including scientific consensus that man-made global warming is causing damaging change and remaining uncertainties over the problem.

The new zone is an evolution of the original plan for a third desert biome, which had to be put on hold because the project initially raised enough money only for the existing rainforest and Mediterranean biomes.

In keeping with its past caution, Eden insists The Edge is 'not a building about climate change; it is a building because of climate change'. The focus will be on the dangers of humans living beyond their means - the reason past civilisations have collapsed, Smit points out - but, just as important, on how future generations can avoid the same mistakes, he says.

'The building will be to explain what it means to live within the limits, and because of climate change those limits will become more and more extreme, so we'll be hitting it head on. But it's not a shrine to the dangers, it's a response to them,' said Smit.

'The point is not about making them feel hopeless. Our brief is to make them feel excited about what humans are capable of if they can organise themselves. The single biggest message from Eden is optimism.'

Simple measures are not enough, says Smit, who talks of 'a new language, a new paradigm'. But he also rejects the idea that the transformation needed will significantly alter our quality of life, stressing instead how society can reduce massive waste and live more efficiently: 'We're going to have to view growth as a different animal and be very careful with language, so people realise we can live and progress without that impacting so heavily on the environment.'

Smit says his inspirations for the project include the Holocaust museum in Berlin, where visitors have to walk across a floor covered in tin plates with smiling faces and the names of victims before they enter the main display halls; and a clay print of a gorilla hand which has fascinated visitors to Bristol Zoo.

Eden's competitors for Lottery funds are a massive extension of cycle and walkways by Sustrans; the restoration of Sherwood Forest; plans to transform Somerset's waterways into a network of tourist attractions; a scheme to open up much of the National Museum of Science and Industry's stored collections; and an environmental regeneration of the Black Country industrial heartland.