The Theatre might be sold out, but there's still a chance to join tonight's Discourse online! @jimalkhalili.bsky.social will explore the emerging technologies powering the world of quantum, reflecting on how we got here.

Yesterday, we hosted our second event 'Our Quantum Future' at @rigb.org where we looked ahead to the next 100 years of quantum science and and its expanding role in technology and society. And we're not done yet 👇

Spacesuits like this one are uncomfortable, but they keep astronauts safe in the most dangerous parts of their mission. 🧑‍🚀 Helen Sharman, the first British person in space, talks us through some of the features of her Sokol spacesuit.

We’re delighted that our Space Dome is one of the livestream venues for this year’s Christmas Lectures, hosted by the prestigious Royal Institution. Watch Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock explore the breakthroughs that have transformed our understanding of the Universe: https://ow.ly/xMq150XnbSG

It's fascinating to hear some of the predictions about the future of engineering from our friends at Royal Academy of Engineering for #NationalEngineeringDay 🧪 Join them in celebrating their vital contribution to our world, and learn more about how they improve our everyday lives.

It's not just cool, it's rocket science 🚀 Nanoparticles of iron in a medium form a magnetic liquid. Our new mini-documentary uncovers how Michael Faraday investigated nanoparticles over 100 years before the start of interest in nanotechnology. Watch here: youtube.com/watch?v=NFwknJClXS0

NEW VIDEO @marcusdusautoy.bsky.social uncovers the deep connection between mathematics and the arts, featuring a live musical performance. www.youtube.com/watch?v=thc2...

Join Jim Al-Khalili as he reflects on a century of quantum mechanics, the strangest yet most successful theory in all of science, and how it has shaped our world—while also looking forward to the exciting development of entirely new technologies.

We end this #BlackHistoryMonth2025 series with Dr Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock, multi-award winning British space scientist and physicist who'll be giving the 2025 @rigb.org #Christmas Lecture! www.rigb.org/explore-scie... Tickets: www.rigb.org/whats-on/dis...

What would the vacuum of space do to a pumpkin? 🎃 This year's Christmas Lectures, supported by CGI, will be out-of-this-world! 🪐 Join space scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock for a whistle-stop tour of our Solar System, and beyond. Learn more about the series: rigb.org/christmas-lectures

💼 Work opportunity! We are looking for a Philanthropy Manager—an ambitious fundraiser, interested in leading on delivering growth in income from our patrons’ programme, and major gifts from individuals. Learn more + apply on our website 👇 www.rigb.org/about-us/wor...

Looking at a bunch of equations can feel daunting to many. 🫣 Why is that? Physicist Jim Gates likens the melody from sheet music to the "stories" told by maths. Watch the full talk here: youtube.com/watch?v=KsNIl8_PVTo This October, we're celebrating black voices in STEM for #BlackHistoryMonth

Thanks to everyone who came to yesterday's talk with Nikku Madhusudhan, about exoplanets and future prospects in the search for habitable environments. If you missed it, you'll get a chance to catch it on our YouTube channel soon! We post new videos every week: youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution

The sky above our VLT is split in a greenish & a reddish airglow. An airglow is only noticeable in the darkest regions. Preserving such pristine skies not only enables scientific research, but also the experience of a perfectly dark night. https://www.eso.org/public/images/potw2543a/ 🔭 🧪

NEW VIDEO Rania Awaad examines the intersection of Islamic teachings and contemporary mental health practices. This talk explores how traditions and principles can play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges of modern mental health. Watch now: youtube.com/watch?v=WfA_j_xd8ak

Hacking isn't just a modern phenomenon of the digital world 🖥️ Discover how Guglielmo Marconi fell prey to the first known and recorded act of public hacking, during a demonstration here at the Ri. 🗃️ 🧪

🎧 Can technology save the world? @undaunted-hq.bsky.social Director, Alyssa Gilbert, unpacks the double-edged role of tech in addressing the climate crisis in the latest IDEA Lab podcast. ➡️Tune in here: buff.ly/wLFsRrQ @rigb.org @imperialenterprise.bsky.social

Did you ever notice this TINY detail on the old £20 notes? 💸 @katysduncan.bsky.social brings us back behind the scenes in the Ri archives to uncover some *noteworthy* fun facts.

Some people experience synaesthesia, where senses blend in remarkable ways: like tasting words or seeing colours when hearing music. Join cognitive psychologist Mary Jane Spiller as she discusses what this reveals about perception, memory, and attention.

This pretty plant could cost the UK economy £300M – but technology is sowing the seeds of change all the way from space. #Thread

Nice little break from transcribing letters: found these doodles of Faraday @rigb.org and Herschel in a letter from novelist Maria Edgeworth (1802-1869) in 1844 @bodleian.ox.ac.uk, writing about Faraday’s Xmas lectures on electricity - pretty solid likenesses to be honest!

Just popped into the Royal Institution for a coffee, to discover they have a lovely display on benzene to mark the bicentenary of Faraday's discovery of it. Here are his notes, his paper, and one of his first samples. Glorious.

Tonight's livestream 👇

A happy and bright #Diwali from the Ri to all those celebrating 🪔 Dan from our Demo team brings a pop of science to the festivities by explaining what makes up a firework. 🧪

And now, the moment you've been waiting for... 🎟️ Tickets for the 2025 Christmas Lectures, supported by CGI, will go on sale next week in two first-come, first-served waves, on Wednesday 22 October and Saturday 25 October. (1/2)

Can technology save the world? Our Director, Alyssa Gilbert, unpacks the double-edged role of tech in addressing the climate crisis. ➡️ Tune in: imperialbizpodcast.podbean.com/e/ideas-rewi... @granthamicl.bsky.social @rigb.org @imperialenterprise.bsky.social

There's still time to join tonight's livestream with @marcusdusautoy.bsky.social! 👇

And now, the moment you've been waiting for... 🎟️ Tickets for the 2025 Christmas Lectures, supported by CGI, will go on sale next week in two first-come, first-served waves, on Wednesday 22 October and Saturday 25 October. (1/2)

🧪🦣🏺

Delighted to welcome the Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy, Mete Coban MBE, to see for himself the impact of the Mayor of London visionary £4.35M investment in making London greener for everyone. @metecoban92.bsky.social @london.gov.uk

This year marks the 200th anniversary of the Christmas Lectures and Discourses lecture series, both started by Michael Faraday in 1825 and still going strong today. We are collecting people's memories of these history-making lectures. Submit yours or see what others have shared! 👇

Quantum physics is the strangest yet most successful theory in all of science. Join @jimalkhalili.bsky.social as he reflects on 100 years of quantum mechanics and its impact on our world, looking at exciting new tech—from quantum cryptography to the quantum internet.

We often see art and mathematics as opposites, emotion versus logic. Join former Christmas Lecturer @marcusdusautoy.bsky.social as he reveals a deep and surprising connection between them.

As #worldspaceweek draws to a close we also celebrate the end of the first week of Black History Month with some inspirational snippets from our November podcast episode with 2025 Christmas Lecturer Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock. #BlackHistoryMonth #XmasLectures

Last week we hosted a special screening of Close Encounters of the Third Kind with Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock for local students. To celebrate World Space Week ✨, hear from Dame Maggie on the importance of science and space on screen in our short film. spklr.io/63328BKy3s

A recently-proposed new class of habitable exoplanets could reveal whether we're alone in the Universe. Astrophysicist Nikku Madhusudhan will share the latest prospects in the search for habitable environments and life beyond the solar system in the next decade. www.rigb.org/whats-on/que...

Have you ever poured a bit of water on a very hot pan and seen the droplets "running away"? 🌡️ That's the Leidenfrost effect, which happens when a liquid comes into contact with a surface that has a major temperature difference. 🧪

The role of solving the biggest challenges posed by modern science falls to engineering, a field often overlooked or misunderstood. Join mechanical engineer Shini Somara as she demystifies the role that engineers play in the ecosystem of innovation.

The latest research is challenging the way we think about ageing, resilience, and longevity— both on Earth and in space. Carina Kern will explore the latest developments in our understanding of ageing, and new interventions that could transform our health span.

The Ig Nobel Prize honours things that make people LAUGH, then THINK. Past and present winners will gather on stage to ask each other questions about their work. Hear about how research on the unlikeliest of subjects can have important real-world implications.

Mark your calendars! Our friends at the @instituteofphysics.bsky.social will bring the scientific and tech community together at their 2-day conference. We're delighted to support this event at our home of science, where we've hosted leading-edge science and discussion for over 200 years.

We were saddened to hear about the passing of Dame Jane Goodall yesterday. Dame Jane's work as an ethologist and global advocate will leave a lasting impact.

NEW VIDEO 200 years ago, Michael Faraday found a mysterious compound in whale oil. It became one of the cornerstones of organic chemistry: benzene. Chemist Judy Wu delivers a special Discourse on the discovery that changed science. 🧪 Watch now: youtube.com/watch?v=0kYMUFzylOs

Innovation is an integral part of science, but is it always good? 🧪 Join ethics and technology expert Jeroen van den Hoven as he explores how to ensure our new developments serve the public interest and help to address the grand challenges of society.

Aberdeen Group Charitable Foundation and UNESCO: Accelerating SDGs through impactful partnership We're grateful to our CHRISTMAS LECTURES Supporting Partner, Aberdeen Investment Trusts, for their valuable contribution to the Ri, enabling us to produce the 2025 CHRISTMAS LECTURES.

Come for the cool solar imagery, stay for the science 😎🧪 @fmorningstar.bsky.social for @cenmag.bsky.social

🧪 wow. This study shows how the ancestors of large flightless birds like ostriches and emus could once fly…and for very long distances but all apparently lost this ability more or less at the same time royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...

Treatments for childhood asthma to prevent wheezing and attacks are largely ineffective. Leading professor Sejal Saglani will explain how her research is uncovering the mechanisms that drive the disease and the progress towards preventing, treating and curing asthma.

Could these ‘leopard-spot’ markings on a Martian rock finally confirm the presence of alien microbes on the Red Planet? Well, NASA think...maybe! 🦠 #Thread 🧪

Earth’s rocks are full of uranium, so why are they not constantly exploding as they are hit with cosmic rays? 💥 Physicist Frank Close explains the crucial difference in uranium isotopes. Full talk on the dawn of the Nuclear Age: youtu.be/rBV4czuCFvg