Professional Documents
Culture Documents
April
Faraday Museum
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Contact
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21 Albemarle Street, London
W1S 4BS
Telephone +44 (0)20 7409 2992
Email ri@ri.ac.uk
Front cover image: Scanning electron micrograph of
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and
a dead human neutrophil. Credit: NIAID via Flickr
Ticket booking
information
Book online at www.rigb.org
or call +44 (0)20 7409 2992
9.00am 6.00pm Monday to Friday
Royal Institution open
8.00am 6.00pm Monday to Friday
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Whats
on
January
Particle Fever
Tuesday 13 January, 7.00pm 9.45pm
To celebrate the restarting of the Large Hadron Collider this year, join us as
we follow six brilliant scientists during the LHC's 2009 launch in this special
screening of Particle Fever. After the film screening, Harry Cliff will give a
short talk about how LHC activities have developed since the filming of Particle
Fever and what we can expect from the years to come.
Tickets: 12/8/6 Associates. Fellows/Members/Faraday Members go free
Good listeners and smooth talkers: Communication in a challenging world
Tuesday 20 January, 7.00pm - 8.30pm
Everyday spoken communication typically occurs in complicated, distracting
and noisy environments. Join researchers from seven European countries for
talks and interactive demonstrations, exploring what influences the ability to
understand speech, what makes a listener good or bad (whether human or
machine), and what talkers do to smooth the way to better communication.
Tickets: 12/8/6 Associates. Fellows/Members/Faraday Members go free
Family-friendly
Things to see and hear in the fourth dimension
Tuesday 27 January, 6.00pm 7.15pm
Cut pizzas in new and fairer ways! Fit a 2p coin through an impossibly small
hole! Make a perfect regular pentagon by knotting a piece of paper! Maths
is a game. Join stand-up mathematician Matt Parker on a journey through
narcissistic numbers, at least two different kinds of infinity, and more in this
family-friendly event. Aimed at ages 7+
Tickets: 12/8/6 Associates. Fellows/Members/Faraday Members go free
Quantum biology: An introduction
Wednesday 28 January, 7.00pm 8.30pm
In the first of three guest-curated events on quantum biology, Jim Al-Khalili
invites Philip Ball to introduce how the mysteries of quantum theory might
manifest themselves at the biological level. He will explain how the baffling
yet powerful theory of the subatomic world might play an important role in
biological processes.
Tickets: 12/8/6 Associates. Fellows/Members/Faraday Members go free
Discourse
Revenge of the microbes
Friday 30 January, 7.50pm 9.15pm
Bacteria are our ancient enemies, evolving clever ways of outmanoeuvring
our natural defences and scientific technologies. With the development of
antibiotics, it seemed we would reign supreme. But now, with antibiotic
resistance on the rise, the bacteria are again gaining ground. Why are bacteria
so insidious and what can we do to stop them? Jennifer Rohn investigates.
Tickets: 17/11 Associates. Fellows/Members/Faraday Members go free
February
The oldest light in the Universe
Thursday 12 February, 7.00pm 8.30pm
In the International Year of Light, join astrophysicist Roberto Trotta to discover
what the oldest light in the cosmos, the luminous echo of the Big Bang itself, can
tell us about the fundamental nature of the Universe, the 'All-There-Is'. Discover
the challenges he overcame to describe it using only the most common 1,000
words in the English language!
Tickets: 12/8/6 Associates. Fellows/Members/Faraday Members go free
Family-friendly
Andrew Szydlo's blaze of steel
Tuesday 17 February, 6.00pm 7.15pm
After the storming success of his family-friendly talk at the Ri and on the Ri
Channel, Andrew Szydlo is back to take us through the fantastic world of steel
and iron. Expect spectacular white hot reactions, wacky colour changes and
chemical illusions in this demonstration-packed performance.
Aimed at ages 7+
Tickets: 12/8/6 Associates. Fellows/Members/Faraday Members go free
Half life
Thursday 5 March, 7.00pm 8.30pm
In 1950, Bruno Pontecorvo, one of Britain's brightest atomic physicists,
disappeared without trace. He re-surfaced six years later. In the USSR. In this
talk, based on unprecedented access to archives, letters, surviving family
members and scientists, Frank Close exposes the truth of Pontecorvos life
behind the Iron Curtain, and reveals why he went so suddenly.
Tickets: 12/8/6 Associates. Fellows/Members/Faraday Members go free
Family-friendly
Periodic success
Thursday 19 February, 6.00pm 7.15pm
The periodic table has been an emblem of science for over 100 years.
Explosions, poisonings, space exploration and novelty Victoria parlour games
are all contained within the chemist's favourite poster. Join chemical physicist
and material scientist Jamie Gallagher on a guided tour of the most famous of
scientific images in the place where 10 elements were discovered the Ri itself.
Aimed at ages 7+
Tickets: 12/8/6 Associates. Fellows/Members/Faraday Members go free
Birth of a theorem
Monday 9 March, 7.00pm 8.30pm
What goes on inside the mind of a mathematician? Where does inspiration
come from? Fields Medal winner Cedric Villani will combine passion and
imagination to take us on a fantastical adventure through the beautiful and
mysterious world of mathematics.
Tickets: 12/8/6 Associates. Fellows/Members/Faraday Members go free
Family-friendly
The Anthropocene: The human epoch, and how it shapes our planet
Wednesday 11 March, 7.00pm 8.30pm
We live at a moment of deep change, between one geological time and another.
Only recently have we realised that our actions have altered this planet and
that we now shape nature. We are moving from the Holocene to a new era,
the Anthropocene. Jan Zalasiewicz and Christian Schwgerl will discuss the
innovations, fears and promise of a pivotal moment in planetary history.
Tickets: 12/8/6 Associates. Fellows/Members/Faraday Members go free
Quantum biology: A revolution in science
Tuesday 17 March, 7.00pm 8.30pm
To end Jim Al-Khalilis series of events, three researchers explain how
quantum theory is being applied to their own work in this cutting-edge field of
scientific discovery. Nigel Scrutton will explore proton tunnelling in enzymes,
Alexandra Olaya-Castro will discuss her latest research in photosynthesis and
Jenny Brookes will explain her work on a quantum model of olfaction.
Tickets: 12/8/6 Associates. Fellows/Members/Faraday Members go free
U3A at the Ri: Dinosaurs, epigenetics and the Higgs
Monday 23 March, 2.00pm 5.00pm
The University of the Third Age once again teams up with the Ri for an
afternoon of fascinating science talks. Palaeontologist David Hone will explore
how dinosaurs behaved, biologist Nessa Carey will look at the fascinating
world of epigentics and physicist Jon Butterworth will tell the story of the
discovery of the Higgs boson.
Tickets: 20 for non-U3A Members.
U3A Members should book through their local branch
March
John Tyndall: In the sky, not under it
Wednesday 4 March, 7.00pm 8.30pm
As Professor of Natural Philosophy at the Ri, 18531887, John Tyndall made
major contributions to scientific knowledge in magnetism, in identifying
what we now call the greenhouse effect, in discovering why the sky is blue
and in glacier behaviour, . To celebrate the launch of the first volume of his
correspondence, Ri historian Frank James presents talks on Tyndalls early life,
his relationship with the Ri and the future of collaborative humanities research.
Tickets: 12/8/6 Associates. Fellows/Members/Faraday Members go free