Royal Institution Lectures

Today’s computers are lightning-fast. But sometimes we want to make sure that they can’t solve a particular task quickly (perhaps for security purposes). This issue lies at the heart of the P vs NP problem, one of the most famous conundrums in computer science, which Kevin Buzzard will explore in this Discourse.

When we hear about physics, we often hear about the weirdness of the tiny quantum world or the bewildering vastness of the cosmos. But there's a lot in the middle, and it's time someone starting talking about it. Helen Czerski will take us through some of the little everyday oddities that shed light on some of the most important science and technology of our time. Once the patterns are visible, a new perspective on the world beckons

There is widespread agreement among researchers in cognitive science that a human brain is some kind of computer, but not much like the laptop. If we look at perceptual experience, and education in particular, as a process of redesigning our cerebral computers, how does the software get designed, and what are the limits of this design process? Join Daniel C Dennett to find out.

From its effect on protein folding to its work as a universal solvent, the unique properties of water make it an indispensable ingredient for life. In this discourse, Sylvia McLain will explore the fundamental and mysterious role of water in life.

Our Universe is, at the very least, 100 billion light years – or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 metres – across. But where does this number come from? How can we measure the distance to even the nearest star when we’ve never visited? And, at a time when cosmologists reckon our Universe may be just one of many in a giant multiverse, will we ever truly grasp the magnitude of what’s out there? Join us on a voyage into the farthest reaches of space and time.

We can’t always control what our brains do and, unconsciously, many of us are racist, sexist and biased without meaning to be. Join sociologist Louise Archer, business psychologist Binna Kandola, astrophysicist Emma Chapman and the IOP's Gender Balance Manager pre-19 Jessica Rowson as they explore the biased world of science.

Can the following of fashion, blind faith, or flights of fantasy have anything seriously to do with the scientific quest to understand the universe? Surely not - but Roger Penrose argues that researchers working at the extreme frontiers of physics are as susceptible to these forces as anyone else, and that fashion, faith, and fantasy, while sometimes highly productive in physics, may be leading today's researchers astray in three of that field's most important areas—string theory, quantum mechanics, and cosmology.

U3A members and and anyone else who is interested join us at the Ri for an afternoon of talks on measuring wildlife, art and science, and cryptography.

Tullis Onstott is a geochemist who travels deep into the uncharted regions beneath the Earth's crust to search for life in extreme environments. In his new book Deep Life, Tullis explores new discoveries from the deep that are helping in the quest to find life in the solar system. In 1901 H. G. Wells, a contemporary of Lowell, published The First Men in the Moon, in which he constructed a fantastically sophisticated society of insect-like creatures, Selenites, living beneath the lunar surface. Since then, the concept of subsurface life has figured frequently in science fiction novels and movies, even in episodes of Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation. But is there any scientific basis supporting it? Can life survive miles beneath a planet’s surface for millions of years even when that surface is inimical to it? In Tullis Onstott’s new book, Deep Life, you will be transported on safaris to the deepest realms of our planet in the search of the answer to this question and to the origin of life itself. The organisms and ecosystems encountered on these journeys are so astonishing in their resilience and complexity that life beneath the surface of Mars is now no longer restricted to the realm of science fiction, but is a tangible target and concern for future robotic and human missions.

The crystalline materials known as Perovskites make up 38% of the volume of the earth. Moreover, they have many very important practical uses, for example in electronics, ultrasonics and in thermal sensing devices. So what are they exactly? Mike Glazer will explain how tiny changes in their crystal structures can lead to such a vast array of different properties and why they are so important in our daily lives.

Join award-winning surgeon and researcher Pankaj Chandak on a journey of medical innovation, from the first antiseptics of Joseph Lister to surgical robots. Hear how modern-day surgeons are realising the impossible with 3D printing, perfusion machines and antibody-supressing drugs.

Tyrannosaurus is the most famous dinosaur in the world, with its six ton weight and bone crushing bite, but how did the tyrannosaurs come to dominate their prehistoric world? Join palaeontologist Dr David Hone to find about the evolution, ecology and behaviour of this fascinating group of dinosaurs.

An estimated 700,000 people in Britian are affected by autism. In this Discourse, Dame Stephanie Shirley will share her hands-on experience of the disorder - providing a virtual reality demonstration of how the world appears to someone on the spectrum; and introducing the robot which teaches at Prior's Court, her specialist autism school.

J. Richard Gott was among the first cosmologists to propose that the structure of our Universe is like a sponge made up of clusters of galaxies intricately connected by filaments of galaxies – a magnificent structure now called the 'cosmic web'. In this talk he will show how ambitious telescope surveys such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey are transforming our understanding of the cosmos, and how the cosmic web holds vital clues to the origins of the universe and the next trillion years that lie ahead.

We know a lot about depression, fear, disgust and anxiety, but positive emotions remain mysterious. Join Vin Walsh and a panel of experts including Julia Christensen, Joe Gladstone and Morten Kringelbach for a discussion of the psychology and neuroscience of happiness.

Patrick Vallance, President of Research and Development at GlaxoSmithKline, will explore the key questions you need to answer when making a medicine and how data, increasingly captured in real-time, could lead to better outcomes for patients.

Although hygiene and antibiotics have overall improved our health, we might have taken our war against germs too far. B Brett Finlay will talk about why a little dirt and our microbes might be good for all of us, as he discusses his new book, Let Them Eat Dirt, co-authored with Marie-Claire Arrieta.

Everything around us is made of ‘stuff’, or matter. But what is it, exactly? Jim Baggott will explore our changing understanding of the nature of matter, from the ancient Greeks to the development of quantum field theory and the discovery of the Higgs boson.

Our lives will increasingly depend on the decisions robots will make. Robots will drive our cars, run our homes and treat our diseases. But how can we teach robots to make moral judgements, and do they have to be sentient to behave ethically? Join Alan Winfield and Raja Chatila to explore these fascinating and vital questions

In billions of years, the sun will expand to engulf the Earth and life on this planet will become impossible. But there are plenty of ways it could end much sooner! Just in time for Asteroid Day, join Lewis Dartnell and a panel of scientists and disaster experts including Rosalind Eggo, Vinay Gupta and Hugh Lewis for a discussion on how to cancel the apocalypse.

In our increasingly connected world, computers and data are everywhere. Nick Jennings will explore how humans and AI systems can work together to complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, probing the scientific underpinning of such systems, the applications they have been applied to, and the societal implications of their widespread adoption.

On 21 August, over 100 million people will gather in a narrow belt across the USA to witness the most watched total solar eclipse in history. Former Christmas Lecturer Frank Close will describe why eclipses happen, their role in history and myth and reveal the spellbinding allure of this most beautiful natural phenomenon.

Black holes are amongst the most extraordinary objects that are known to exist in the universe. Jerome Gauntlett will discuss their fascinating properties and describe the dramatic recent observations of black holes using gravitational waves. He will also explain why it is believed that black holes hold the key to unlocking the next level of our understanding of the fundamental laws of physics.