We also do have a really unhealthy obsession with newspapers - delivered day and night to their own special room* (Morning Post, Saturday 12 March 1825) *After a few iterations, now the Sunley room, featuring slightly fewer newspapers.

You know how we get miffed when people call us "The Royal Institute"? Our frustration is justified, because it's been going on forever. 🙄 Check out this 1974 newspaper we just found in a drawer—we love the old ads!

Can a quantum computer tell us something about parallel universes? 🌌 @mariaviolaris.bsky.social unpacks the surprising connection between quantum computing and the multiverse—and explains why the debate is far from settled. Watch the full talk: youtube.com/watch?v=B1WP3jgavbA

We've got your autumn evening plans sorted! ✔️ Check out our upcoming season of science talks, featuring big thinkers and even bigger questions.

What's on

Discover science directly from the minds of the world’s leading scientists and thinkers with our talks, discussions and famil

rigb.org

I had an amazing time running an outreach activity at the #ReachForTheCosmos event at the @rigb.org. Thank you so much to everyone who organised such a fantastic day, our brilliant Queen Mary student ambassadors, and everyone who visited the activity and tried a #BiteOfSpaceTime!

We are saddened to hear about the risks to Jodrell Bank’s public funding. Without underplaying the challenge of meeting rising research costs on a fixed budget, Jodrell Bank is rare in being a place where the public can see and feel the impact of research for themselves. (1/2)

Patterns in the Universe's "baby picture" contain evidence for dark matter. 🌌 Astronomer @mattbothwell.com reveals how tiny fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background help scientists determine what the early Universe was made of. Watch the full talk: youtube.com/watch?v=bLa3k0NoHvY

What a joy! To spend an hour with Astronomer Royal Michelle Dougherty at the Royal Institution. A life goal achieved, you never know we might be back… @rigb.org 🙏

Every second, about 100 billion neutrinos pass through your thumbnail 🤯 But where do they come from? Physicist Kirsty Duffy illuminates their origin from the Big Bang and exploding stars. Watch the whole talk here: youtube.com/watch?v=lpa2eg2jc0g

Why do we generally have five fingers on each hand? ✋ @philipcball.bsky.social reveals the surprising connection between this phase of our development in the womb and the British mathematician Alan Turing. 🧪 Watch the full talk here: youtube.com/watch?v=tw54LmxR21A

Apollo 11 landed on the Moon #OnThisDay in 1969 🌕 Maggie Aderin-Pocock and astronaut Meganne Christian explained the reasons scientists are working out how to set up a base on our planet's natural satellite.

#OnThisDay in 1860, Warren de la Rue and his crew took a first-of-its-kind astronomical photograph that settled an international debate. 🔭 🗃️

What does wombat poo have to do with maths? 💩 Kathryn from our Masterclasses team reveals the surprising connection between these adorable Australian mammals and morphological mathematics.

Research shows that people who report being abducted by aliens also have a higher incidence of sleep paralysis. Anomalistic psychologist Chris French explains how his terrifying phenomenon aligns with accounts of alien abductions. Watch the full talk: youtube.com/watch?v=i8mjM3PB_Tk

An ant becomes infected by a fungus which takes over its nervous system. It sounds like science fiction, but it's happening in rainforests around the world. Listen as cultural entomologist Bridget Nicholls investigates this intriguing natural phenomenon. ⬇️ www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

BBC Radio 4 - The Art of Being a Zombie Ant Fungus

Cultural entomologist Bridget Nicholls investigates a bizarre natural phenomenon.

bbc.co.uk

The Greenhouse accelerator is OPEN for applications! We support early-stage (“pre-seed”) startups and spinouts with high-potential deeptech, fintech, cleantech solutions to tackle climate change. ➡️ Apply before 21 August: undaunted-hq.org/programmes/t... @granthamicl.bsky.social @rigb.org

On tomorrow night at 7 pm at the @rigb.org, Melanie Challenger will be joined by Nick Lane and Philip Ball to talk about Alive: what life is, how it works, and why it matters. You can watch in person or online. www.rigb.org/whats-on/ali...

Alive: what life is, how it works, and why it matters

Melanie Challenger is joined by a panel of guests to discuss the science behind one of the most fundamental

rigb.org

ARCHIVIST Q&A TIME 🗃️ 🧪 We've been the home of science for over 200 years. Our collection is a treasure trove of science history...and we want to share the best bits with you! Now is your chance to pick Fran's brain and ask your questions—we'll answer a selection in a video! Pop your Qs below 👇

Over the last 12 months, I've been visiting schools as a @royalstatsoc.bsky.social William Guy Lecturer talking about statistics & how AI could help improve them Tomorrow, 7pm, I'll be @rigb.org to do the same with demos, stats, & LOTS of AI Get a ticket & come along! www.rigb.org/whats-on/sta...

Statistics and stupidly smart AI

Statistician Arthur Turrell explores how we can separate bad data from good, how it impacts decisions, and w

rigb.org

Smart TVs take snapshots of what you're watching, many times per second 📺 Internet of Things expert Anna Maria Mandalari illuminates what we are really giving away in exchange for the convenience of smart devices. Watch the full talk: youtu.be/LCAqdqo-SJU

British chemist Humphry Davy and Giacomo Leopardi, who is considered Italy's greatest 19th-century poet, had a surprising shared interest: Mount Vesuvius and the nearby ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii.

Science and poetry at the edge of the volcano: Humphry Davy and Giacomo Leopardi on Vesuvius

Science and literature are often considered separate cultures in today’s society.

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A diverse diet contributes to a healthy gut microbiome, but there are other unexpected little helpers in our home... 🐈 In the 2024 Christmas Lectures, Chris van Tulleken and Louise Kenny explained how our environment affects our gut. Watch the whole series here: youtube.com/watch?v=FP3-Vq3NiO4

What a honour presenting Invisible Rainbows at @rigb.org - dream come true 🌈📖

Less than a week left to apply for our 2026/2027 internships! ⏰ We have 12 #internship opportunities for PhD students, including hands-on roles in the world-famous Christmas Lectures. Apply before 13 July 👇 www.rigb.org/explore-scie...

PhD internships at the Royal Institution - 2026/2027

rigb.org

When Large Language Models like ChatGPT generate text, they're using probability to predict the next word, but they don't necessarily "understand" what those words mean. Watch the full talk with science journalist Claire Malone (@geeknproud42.bsky.social): youtube.com/watch?v=CBbLEOirHzI

Could life evolve or survive in the ocean floors of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn? 🪐 Astronomer Royal Michele Dougherty will describe what we currently know, and explore what future missions could uncover. www.rigb.org/whats-on/dis...

Discourse: Discoveries at the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn

Astronomer Royal Michele Dougherty asks whether other bodies in the solar system could support life.

rigb.org

If you are looking for something to do tonight, I am at the @rigb.org talking about all the things we shouldn't be able to see in the universe! And it's your chance to touch a meteorite as old as the Sun and hear the edge of the visible universe! www.rigb.org/whats-on/inv...

Invisible Rainbows: The hidden physics of light

Astronomer and science journalist Alfredo Carpineti explains the science beyond the visible light spectrum.

rigb.org

Nature is often not binary when it comes to sex. For example, did you know there's a species of lizard that doesn't have any males? 🦎 Biologist Josh Davis introduces us to animals reproducing by "virgin birth".

In the same theatre where Nikola Tesla lectured, join our Demo team as they present the striking beauty and raw power of high-voltage physics in an electrifying live show. ⚡

Amped Up: Tesla and the art of lightning

Innovator-in-Residence, David Ricketts and the Ri's Michael Cutts join forces again, for an electrifying live show inspired b

rigb.org

Our #SummerScience Exhibition is well and truly underway, celebrating cutting-edge, mind-blowing science from around the UK. With free entry all day every day until Sunday 5 July, plan your visit now: royalsociety.org/science-even...