The Royal Institution
The Royal Institution
The Royal Institution of Great Britain
21 Albemarle Street
Mayfair
London
Greater London
W1S 4BS
England
Website
Telephone
020 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
John Tyndall: In the sky, not under it
- 4 March 2015 7-8:30pm
As Professor of Natural Philosophy at the Royal Institution from 1853 to 1887, 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 hosts talks on Tyndall’s early life, his relationship with the Ri and the future of collaborative humanities research.
Suitable for
- 16-17
- 18+
- 14-15
Admission
£12 Standard
£8 Concession
Discounts for Ri Members
Website
http://rigb.org/whats-on/events-2015/march/public-john-tyndall-in-the-sky-not-under-it
Half Life
- 5 March 2015 7-8:30pm
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 Pontecorvo’s life behind the Iron Curtain, and reveals why he went so suddenly.
Suitable for
- 18+
- 14-15
- 16-17
Admission
£12 Standard
£8 Concession
Discounts for Ri Members
Website
http://rigb.org/whats-on/events-2015/march/public-half-life
Birth of a theorem
- 9 March 2015 7-8:30pm
What goes on inside the mind of a mathematician? Where does inspiration come from? Fields Medal winner Cédric Villani will combine passion and imagination to take us on a fantastical adventure through the beautiful, mysterious world of mathematics.
Suitable for
- 18+
- 14-15
- 16-17
Admission
£12 Standard
£8 Concession
Discounts for Ri Members
Website
http://rigb.org/whats-on/events-2015/march/public-birth-of-a-theorem
The Anthropocene – the human epoch, and how it shapes our planet
- 11 March 2015 7-8:30pm
We live at a moment of deep change, between one geological time and another. We are moving from the Holocene to new era, the Anthropocene.
Only recently we have come to understand that our actions have already altered this planet and that we now shape nature. Jan Zalasiewicz and Christian Schwägerl will come together to discuss the innovations, fears and promise of a pivotal moment in planetary history.
Suitable for
- 18+
- 14-15
- 16-17
Admission
£12 Standard
£8 Concession
Discounts for Ri Members
Website
Quantum biology: A revolution in science
- 17 March 2015 7-8:30pm
To end Jim Al-Khalili’s series of guest-curated events, three researchers will 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.
Suitable for
- 16-17
- 18+
- 14-15
Admission
£12 Standard
£8 Concession
Discounts for Ri Members
Website
http://rigb.org/whats-on/events-2015/march/public-quantum-biology-a-revolution-in-science
Science, society and the Royal Institution
- 23 March 2015 12-12:45pm
At a time of revolutionary politics and global conflict, the Royal Institution was set up as a site for communicating scientific knowledge to an aristocratic and upper class audience. Join Frank James for this illustrated lunchtime talk in which he will discuss its origins and what has changed since.
Suitable for
- 18+
- 14-15
- 16-17
- 11-13
Admission
£12 Standard
£8 Concession
Discounts for Ri Members
Website
http://rigb.org/whats-on/events-2015/march/public-science-society-and-the-royal-institution
Convergence: Information, evolution, and intelligent design
- 25 March 2015 7-8:30pm
The concept of information is fundamental to all areas of science, and ubiquitous in daily life in the Internet Age. However, it is still not well understood despite being recognised for more than 40 years. In this talk, Daniel Dennett will explore steps towards a unified theory of information, through common threads in evolution, learning, and engineering.
This event will be the first in a series on the theme of 'Convergence', exploring the links between neuroscience, philosophy and artificial intelligence. Look out for more events later in the year.
We are grateful for the help of the Real Time Club in organising this event.
Suitable for
- 18+
- 14-15
- 16-17
Admission
£12 Standard
£8 Concession
Discounts for Ri Members
Website
Telescopes of the future: Bringing the Universe into focus (Friday Evening Discourse)
- 27 March 2015 7:50-9:15pm
As our exploration of the cosmos continues apace, the observatories of the future, in space and on the ground, will cast light on some of the biggest scientific questions we face today: how the Universe came into being, how it evolved into its present state, and whether life could exist on other planets.
Dr Sarah Kendrew will introduce you to the scientific and technological marvel of astronomy's new generation of telescopes that will revolutionise our view of the Universe in the next decade.
Suitable for
- 18+
- 14-15
- 16-17
Admission
£17 Standard
Discoutns for Ri Members
Website
http://rigb.org/whats-on/events-2015/march/public-telescopes-of-the-future
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