Royal Institution
banner
rigb.org
Royal Institution
@rigb.org
We're an independent charity connecting people of all ages and backgrounds with science.

📺 Home of the #XmasLectures
💥 Weekly science talks online/in person
🌐 rigb.org
🎧 New podcast episode 🎧

Our 2025 Christmas Lecturer, Maggie Aderin-Pocock, joins us on the podcast to explore the fascinating history of space imaging and her extensive experience in the scientific world.

Listen here: creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/...
November 26, 2025 at 5:07 PM
There are only 30 sleeps until Christmas 🎄The wait for the 2025 Christmas Lectures, supported by CGI, is almost over!

If you can't wait until this festive season, dive into our massive video archive, featuring hundreds of Christmas Lectures series, all free to watch 👇
Watch the Royal Institution CHRISTMAS LECTURES archive
Watch all the Royal Institution CHRISTMAS LECTURES back to 1966, when the lectures were first televised.
www.rigb.org
November 25, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Don't miss tonight's livestream 👇
Key thought experiments are testing the foundations of physics, namely the interface between quantum physics and general relativity.

Join physicist Vlatko Vedral to discover how the realisation of these theories could transform our understanding of the world around us.
Thought experiments powering future physics
Vlatko Vedral explores thought experiments which could alter our understanding of the universe if they became reality.
www.rigb.org
November 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Reposted by Royal Institution
A 3-year-old has astounded doctors with his progress after becoming the 1st person in the world to receive a ground-breaking gene therapy.

Oliver has a rare condition called Hunter syndrome - or MPSII - which causes progressive damage to the body & brain.

🧪🧬 #medsky

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Hunter syndrome: Boy with rare condition amazes doctors after world-first gene therapy
Oliver has an inherited condition called Hunter syndrome, which causes progressive damage to the body and brain.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Work opportunity 💻

We are looking for a Salesforce Administrator to join our team!

This key role will manage connected Salesforce apps in a multi-cloud environment, managing users and maintaining auditability.

Apply on our website before 8 December 👇
Work with us
Help us to create more opportunities for everyone to enjoy and benefit from science.
www.rigb.org
November 23, 2025 at 8:48 AM
This once-overlooked invention from the 1800s was crucial in getting astronauts to the Moon 🌕

Follow us behind the scenes in the Ri Archives as @katysduncan.bsky.social uncovers the history of the Grove voltaic cell.
November 22, 2025 at 1:13 PM
This demo cannot...flop 💾

Engineer Danielle George showed us a fun application of some old-school floppy drives.

Watch the full talk on smart machines here: youtube.com/watch?v=ZK5TABdpLvU

🧪
November 21, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Last week we welcomed guests to the Zero Ready Dinner. A showcase of the inspirational @undaunted-hq.bsky.social partnership with @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social  and the @granthamicl.bsky.social, introducing our audience to our journey towards net zero at our Grade I listed home.
November 21, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Reposted by Royal Institution
To celebrate #BookWeekScotland we've been sharing some of our fave #kidsbooks featuring maths. To round off the week we have a selection of picture books about famous mathematicians from history. Are there any others you'd add?

#MathsWeekScot #MathsToday #UKMathsChat #kidslit #kidsbooks #booksky 💙📚
November 21, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Why do the planets in the Solar System orbit the Sun roughly in the same plane? 🪐

Put simply: when spheres spin, they tend to flatten out. This is also why the Earth isn't a perfect sphere, but it bulges at the equator. 🌍
November 20, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Why are we seeing the Northern Lights more frequently here in the UK? Planetary scientist Marina Galand illustrates how this is due to a period of peak activity from the Sun ☀️

Watch the full talk: youtube.com/watch?v=DGcYBkw5MQ0
November 19, 2025 at 5:33 PM
The dinner that gave Faraday FOMO 🫢 Discover the story of the world’s first underwater banquet in the Thames Tunnel through letters uncovered by @brunelmuseum.bsky.social.
Banquets at the Thames Tunnel: New Sources for the World's First Underwater Dinners - Brunel Museum
Monday 10 November 2025 is the 198th anniversary of an extraordinary dinner, held under the waters of the River Thames in the Thames Tunnel. In our latest blog, Museum volunteer Sue Thomas reveals a…
thebrunelmuseum.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Watch the 2025 Christmas Lectures, supported by CGI, as they come to life! 📽️

Organisations across the UK will livestream the lectures as they're being filmed at the Ri this December. www.rigb.org/christmas-le...
2025 CHRISTMAS LECTURES livestreaming
Find out where across the country you can watch a livestreaming of the 2025 CHRISTMAS LECTURES.
www.rigb.org
November 17, 2025 at 1:35 PM
💼 Work opportunity

We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Archivist to continue archiving the Ri’s collection and to review, refine, and further develop our archive structure and systems.

Apply here before 24 November: rigb.org/about-us/work-with-us#a7xPy000000hmfhIAA
November 16, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Potassium and calcium are both metals, but they produce extremely different reactions with water 🫧 💥

Chemistry demonstration virtuoso Andrew Szydlo shows these two elements in action. Watch the full lecture here: youtube.com/watch?v=OYZT3opLedc&t=5174s
November 15, 2025 at 6:17 PM
The scientific laws of time, space and value allow us to chart how knowledge moves and spreads.

Join physicist and data-visualisation expert César Hidalgo as he uncovers how this helps us understand scientific and economic growth and development.
An Infinite Alphabet: The Laws of Knowledge
Award winning data-visualistion expert Cesar Hidalgo demonstrates how the movement of knowledge follows scientifically define
www.rigb.org
November 13, 2025 at 4:15 PM
From headphones to Memory Foam, do you know how many everyday things in your home were originally invented for astronauts?

Here are our seven favourite surprising items that we wouldn’t have without space travel. #Thread 🚀
November 13, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Key thought experiments are testing the foundations of physics, namely the interface between quantum physics and general relativity.

Join physicist Vlatko Vedral to discover how the realisation of these theories could transform our understanding of the world around us.
Thought experiments powering future physics
Vlatko Vedral explores thought experiments which could alter our understanding of the universe if they became reality.
www.rigb.org
November 11, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Reposted by Royal Institution
📢 JOB ALERT 📢

Come work with me! @rigb.org is hiring an Archivist, full time, 2 year, fixed-term contract, hybrid working possible.

Please share widely!

More details 👇
www.rigb.org/about-us/wor...
Work with us
Help us to create more opportunities for everyone to enjoy and benefit from science.
www.rigb.org
November 7, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Reposted by Royal Institution
Last Friday, we had the final events for #QuantumWeek2025 with Innovate UK's Quantum Business Showcase and a Quantum Schools Event at @rigb.org with marketplaces featuring quantum businesses and universities. In the evening, Professor Jim Al-Khalili gave a Discourse lecture to a packed audience.
November 10, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Meet our 2025 Christmas Lecturer!

Our Theatre is sold out, but you can still join us for the online livestream as Maggie Aderin-Pocock delivers the prestigious annual November Discourse.
SOLD OUT IN-PERSON: Discourse: Christmas Lecturer 2025
Join 2025 Christmas Lecturer Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock for the final Discourse of the year.
www.rigb.org
November 10, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Have you ever tracked, in photos, the retrograde movement of a planet? 🔭

Or perhaps you're planning to capture the retrograde motion of Mercury and Jupiter this month? (1/2)
November 10, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Help us bring science to even more people! 📣

For a short time, donations over £50 will be matched, supporting our work in public engagement, science education in schools, digital content, and outreach to underrepresented communities. #BeTheSpark
Be the Spark Challenge Fund
Donate now and make your gift go twice as far
www.rigb.org
November 9, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Imagine spotting flaws in a rollercoaster or power station before disaster strikes—without laying a finger on them.

Physicist Rachel Edwards will tell us all about non-destructive testing, where engineers use sound to uncover hidden dangers like cracks and corrosion.
Seeing sound
Join Rachel Edwards for a look at the new ways scientists and engineers are going beyond traditional ultrasound.
www.rigb.org
November 9, 2025 at 6:34 PM