The Royal Institution
The Royal Institution
The Royal Institution of Great Britain
21 Albemarle Street
Mayfair
London
Greater London
W1S 4BS
England
Website
Telephone
+44 (0) 20 7409 2992
Fax
+44 (0) 20 7670 2920
For over 200 years, the RI has been ‘diffusing science for the common purposes of life’.
Venue Type:
Museum, Science centre
Additional info
The Archive Reading Room is open to the public by appointment, Mon-Wed, 10.00-13.00 and 14.00-17.00.
Includes the original apparatus and papers of many of those who have researched, lectured and lived at the Royal Institution including Humphry Davy, Michael Faraday, John Tyndall, James Dewar, William Bragg, Lawrence Bragg and George Porter. The collection also includes important collections of iconographical material in various media, scientific instruments, as well as a large administrative archive, covering all aspects of the work of the Royal Institution.
Collection details
Science and Technology, Natural Sciences, Archives
Key artists and exhibits
- Michael Faraday
- Induction Ring
- Volta's Battery
- Humphry Davy
- Davy Lamp
- Count Rumford
- James Dewar
- Dewar Flask
- John Tyndall
- William Henry Bragg
- William Lawrence Bragg
- X-ray Spectrometer
- Lysozyme
- Laboratory
Human Evolution: An introduction
- 6 May 2014 7-8:30pm
What makes us human? How did we develop language, thought and culture? Why do we need them?
The past 12,000 years represent the only time in the sweep of human history when there has been only one human species. How did this extraordinary proliferation of species come about?
The tale of our origins has inevitably been told through the 'stones and bones' of the archaeological record, yet Robin Dunbar shows that it was our social and cognitive changes rather than our physical development which truly made us distinct from other species.
Suitable for
- 18+
- 16-17
- Not suitable for children
Admission
£12.00 Standard
£8.00 Concession
£6.00 Associate Member
Free to Ri Members
Website
http://rigb.org/whats-on/events-2014/may/public-human-evolution-an-introduction
How to Rebuild the World From Scratch
- 8 May 2014 7-8:30pm
Maybe an asteroid hit Earth. Perhaps a nuclear war reduced our cities to radioactive rubble. Or an avian flu killed almost everyone on Earth. However it happened, the world as we know it is over and we must start again.
So how do we set about rebuilding our world from scratch? How do you grow food and make clothes? Or generate energy and develop medicines? Lewis Dartnell will help us, as the survivors, reconnect with the basic skills and knowledge which our lives and world depend upon. By taking us on a journey of rediscovery, he will transform our understanding of the world.
Suitable for
- Any age
- Family friendly
Admission
£12.00 Standard
£8.00 Concession
£6.00 Associate Members
Free to Ri Members
Website
http://www.rigb.org/whats-on/events-2014/may/public-how-to-rebuild-the-world-from-scratch
Family Fun Day: Great stuff
- 17 May 2014 11am-4pm
What happens when you make a liquid with iron filings? How can you make paint change colour before your eyes? Everything is made of something, and the stuff in your life, from the ordinary to the obscure, is full of surprises! Explore the amazing material world at this Family Fun Day all about stuff, with talks from former Christmas Lecturer, Professor Mark Miodownik.
Suitable for
- 5-6
- 7-10
- 11-13
- Especially for children
Admission
£12.00 Adults
£6.00 6-18 year olds
Free to Faraday Members
Ri Members get 2 free junior tickets
Website
http://rigb.org/whats-on/events-2014/may/public-family-fun-day-great-stuff
Risk Savvy
- 20 May 2014 7-8:30pm
We all have to make decisions which involve risk, whether it is to innovate, have fun, or have the courage to face uncertainties in life. And yet, we often don’t understand the statistics and probabilities and turn to experts to analyse the risk and choose what is best for us. But what if they don’t understand the information either?
In this humorous talk, Gerd Gigerenzer will help us avoid being manipulated into unrealistic hopes and fears, and make better-informed decisions in our lives.
Suitable for
- 16-17
- 18+
- Not suitable for children
Admission
£12.00 Standard
£8.00 Concession
£6.00 Associate Members
Free to Ri Members
Website
http://rigb.org/whats-on/events-2014/may/public-risk-savvy
Smashing Physics
- 27 May 2014 7-8:30pm
The discovery of the Higgs boson was the culmination of the largest scientific experiment ever performed, the ATLAS and CMS experiments at CERN's Large Hadron Collider.
But what really is a Higgs boson and what does it do? How was it found? And how has its discovery changed our understanding of the fundamental laws of nature? Leading CERN physicist Jon Butterworth gives his inside account of the hunt for the Higgs.
Suitable for
- 16-17
- 18+
- Not suitable for children
Admission
£12.00 Standard
£8.00 Concession
£6.00 Associate Member
Free to Ri Members
Website
http://rigb.org/whats-on/events-2014/may/public-smashing-physics
Behind The Scenes of the Universe
- 28 May 2014 7-8:30pm
An extraordinary discovery in the 20th century shook the foundations of cosmology and particle physics; the Universe is filled with an unknown, elusive substance that is different from anything we have ever seen before. It is called dark matter, and it constitutes one of the most pressing challenges of modern science.
There is now a worldwide race to identify the nature of this mysterious form of matter, aiming to help us understand what makes up a large part of our Universe. Gianfranco Bertone will take us through the far-reaching implications of this discovery.
Suitable for
- 18+
- 16-17
- Not suitable for children
Admission
£12.00 Standard
£8.00 Concession
£6.00 Associate Members
Free to Ri Members
Website
http://rigb.org/whats-on/events-2014/may/public-behind-the-scenes-of-the-universe
Resisting Temptation: The Biology of Appetite
- 30 May 2014 7:50-9:15pm
Almost two thirds of adults in the UK are classed as overweight or obese, but why is it that some people seem to struggle with their weight? Are there biological factors that are involved in appetite and weight gain? Professor Sadaf Farooqi will explore the genetic factors below the surface, and give an insight into what else may be at play in this complex, multifactorial trait.
Suitable for
- 18+
- 16-17
- Not suitable for children
Admission
£17.00 Standard
£11.00 Associate Members
Free to Ri Members
Website
http://rigb.org/whats-on/events-2014/may/public-resisting-temptation
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