The Royal Institution
Q&A: The Source of Consciousness - with Mark Solms
updated
Watch the Q&A here (exclusively for our Science Supporters): youtu.be/DbqmY7TJD7s
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This lecture was recorded at the Ri on 21 September 2024, in partnership with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
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Pioneering physics discoveries often catch the public eye, such as the discovery of gravitational waves in 2015. Curved spacetime, black holes, and the evolutionary history of the Universe speak immensely to the imagination of the general public as well as science enthusiasts, and yet physics is still perceived as a discipline only accessible for the intellectual elite. Gideon sets out to show that physics is as fun and understandable as it is tremendously exciting, and it is high time we make nature’s mysteries accessible to all.
Gideon will let us in on the secret that nature repeats the same rules over and over again, so that once we understand one case, we can understand more abstract areas too. He will prepare you to fully appreciate, and understand, the exciting discoveries that are coming our way in the next few years.
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Gideon Koekoek is associate professor of physics at Maastricht University, where he is senior staff member in the department of Gravitational Waves and Fundamental Physics. He obtained his BSc, MSc, and PhD in theoretical physics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Nikhef for subatomic physics, and additionally obtained a second MSc degree in Education. Gideon spends equal time between education, research in gravitational waves and general relativity, and being outreach coordinator for the Virgo Collaboration, the Dutch Black Hole Consortium, and the Einstein Telescope Consortium. He coordinates regional, national, and international projects for public, educational, and political outreach of gravitational wave science and Einstein Telescope in particular, and is a frequently asked presenter on physics, research, and education.
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Watch our newest Christmas lectures here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZyQJZLPMjwEoOLdkFBLU2m1
This lecture was filmed at the Ri on Thursday 6 December 1973; These lectures were some of the last Ri Christmas Lectures to be delivered totally live on the BBC.
We'll be releasing these lectures throughout October, but if you sign up as a Science Supporter you'll get early, ad-free access to all of them now, as well as our other talks, all while supporting our vital scientific work: youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
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In this Lecture, Sir David Attenborough explores the languages animals use to communicate.
Many animal languages are relatively simple. They consist of simple declarations of the animal’s immediate intentions, or straightforward statements of how it is feeling at that very moment.
Usually the language can only convey a limited number of messages. Yet in some cases, the information sent in the message is really quite complicated. For example, some animals can pass on to another, detailed instructions concerning the exact position of food. Some animals have developed means by which to increase the amount of information they can pass through their language, either by using a larger repitoire of messages or by conveying more detail in their existing messages.
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David Attenborough's 1973 CHRISTMAS LECTURES - The languages of animals:
Breaking the cardinal rule of broadcast television – ‘never work with animals or children’ – Sir David Attenborough demonstrates the varied means by which animals convey information to one another and reveals a collection of diverse and complicated behaviours.
From visual signals to distinctive scents, the series explores the vast repertoire of animal language as well as the diverse meaning of messages, whether it be attracting a mate or acting as a warning signal.
As David explains, getting the right message across often means the difference between life and death. Parents communicate with their young, infants signal when they’re in distress and specific colours can signal danger. Other animals have also devised clever deceptions, mimicking the warning signals of others without actually possessing a physical threat.
Language is shown to be a universal tool of the animal kingdom but, asks David, how can we learn what animals are saying to each other and how does their language compare to our own? The series concludes by exploring whether it is possible for us to communicate with animals and if we could ever hope to teach an animal to use a human language.
Find out more about the CHRISTMAS LECTURES here: rigb.org/christmas-lectures
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Help us find the missing CHRISTMAS LECTURES
The fourth lecture in the series, 'Simple Signs and Complicated Communications', is considered a missing a lecture, as there is no known copy of it.
If you do have a copy of the recording, we would love it if you got in touch with us at xmaslectures@ri.ac.uk to help us make all our CHRISTMAS LECTURES available for future generations.
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Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
Watch all the lectures in this series here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZxzfCp3IAiaWpNALHeN2Leh
Watch our newest Christmas lectures here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZyQJZLPMjwEoOLdkFBLU2m1
This lecture was filmed at the Ri on Wednesday 5 December 2024. These lectures were some of the last Ri Christmas Lectures to be delivered totally live on the BBC.
We'll be releasing these lectures throughout October, but if you sign up as a Science Supporter you'll get early, ad-free access to all of them now, as well as our other talks, all while supporting our vital scientific work: youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
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In this Lecture, Sir David Attenborough explores how animals communicate with other animals, from different species.
Animals not only have to communicate with their own species, but with animals of different kinds. This sort of communication is necessary when two different species of animal live closely together or come together for a special purpose.
Sometimes, one animal depends on another. The former is known as a ‘parasite’, since it exploits the other animal and uses its own language to deceive it. Alternatively, both animals might benefit from their association. In these cases the two species will come to share a language between them, understood by both.
We ourselves try to communicate with other animals. Usually we do this by teaching animals to understand a language that we have devised and which is really foreign to them, like asking a dog to 'sit'. Perhaps much more interestingly, we sometimes are able to speak to the animal in its own language.
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Sir David Attenborough's 1973 CHRISTMAS LECTURES - The languages of animals:
Breaking the cardinal rule of broadcast television – ‘never work with animals or children’ – Sir David Attenborough demonstrates the varied means by which animals convey information to one another and reveals a collection of diverse and complicated behaviours.
From visual signals to distinctive scents, the series explores the vast repertoire of animal language as well as the diverse meaning of messages, whether it be attracting a mate or acting as a warning signal.
As David explains, getting the right message across often means the difference between life and death. Parents communicate with their young, infants signal when they’re in distress and specific colours can signal danger. Other animals have also devised clever deceptions, mimicking the warning signals of others without actually possessing a physical threat.
Language is shown to be a universal tool of the animal kingdom but, asks David, how can we learn what animals are saying to each other and how does their language compare to our own? The series concludes by exploring whether it is possible for us to communicate with animals and if we could ever hope to teach an animal to use a human language.
Find out more about the CHRISTMAS LECTURES here: rigb.org/christmas-lectures
----
Help us find the missing CHRISTMAS LECTURES
The fourth lecture in the series, 'Simple Signs and Complicated Communications', is considered a missing a lecture, as there is no known copy of it.
If you do have a copy of the recording, we would love it if you got in touch with us at xmaslectures@ri.ac.uk to help us make all our CHRISTMAS LECTURES available for future generations.
----
Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
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Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
Watch all the lectures in this series here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZxzfCp3IAiaWpNALHeN2Leh
Watch our newest Christmas lectures here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZyQJZLPMjwEoOLdkFBLU2m1
This lecture was filmed at the Ri on Monday 3 December 1973. These lectures were some of the last Ri Christmas Lectures to be delivered totally live on the BBC.
We'll be releasing these lectures throughout October, but if you sign up as a Science Supporter you'll get early, ad-free access to all of them now, as well as our other talks, all while supporting our vital scientific work: youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
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Although many newborn animals enter the world well able to defend for themselves; others rely heavily on one or both of their parents for survival. This creates a need for communication between the generations.
Parents can exchange information with their infants even before they are born or hatched. The child will signal its needs and in turn responds to important messages from its parents.
The parent-child relationships in the animal kingdom that evolve from this information exchange involve many different aspects. These include feeding, and protection; helpless baby animals will need to heed the warnings from their parents. Young animals may also look to their parents for comfort and warmth, and to keep them clean.
There is further need for communication when it comes to wandering children. In these situations, parents will have to fetch and carry their straying offspring home again. An infant lost or otherwise in distress usually has special means of letting its parents know it is in trouble.
The methods of communication young animals learn in the period of their upbringing are essential for later life. If things go wrong at an early age, it could compromise their ability to learn the language that they will need as an adult.
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Sir David Attenborough's 1973 CHRISTMAS LECTURES - The languages of animals:
Breaking the cardinal rule of broadcast television – ‘never work with animals or children’ – Sir David Attenborough demonstrates the varied means by which animals convey information to one another and reveals a collection of diverse and complicated behaviours.
From visual signals to distinctive scents, the series explores the vast repertoire of animal language as well as the diverse meaning of messages, whether it be attracting a mate or acting as a warning signal.
As David explains, getting the right message across often means the difference between life and death. Parents communicate with their young, infants signal when they’re in distress and specific colours can signal danger. Other animals have also devised clever deceptions, mimicking the warning signals of others without actually possessing a physical threat.
Language is shown to be a universal tool of the animal kingdom but, asks David, how can we learn what animals are saying to each other and how does their language compare to our own? The series concludes by exploring whether it is possible for us to communicate with animals and if we could ever hope to teach an animal to use a human language.
Find out more about the CHRISTMAS LECTURES here: rigb.org/christmas-lectures
----
Help us find the missing CHRISTMAS LECTURES
The fourth lecture in the series, 'Simple Signs and Complicated Communications', is considered a missing a lecture, as there is no known copy of it.
If you do have a copy of the recording, we would love it if you got in touch with us at xmaslectures@ri.ac.uk to help us make all our CHRISTMAS LECTURES available for future generations.
----
Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
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Listen to the Ri podcast: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast
Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: rigb.org/support-us/donate-ri
Our editorial policy: rigb.org/editing-ri-talks-and-moderating-comments
Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
Watch all the lectures in this series here: youtube.com/watch?v=9REGwlxfWrg&list=PLbnrZHfNEDZxzfCp3IAiaWpNALHeN2Leh
Watch our newest Christmas lectures here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZyQJZLPMjwEoOLdkFBLU2m1
This lecture was filmed at the Ri on Sunday 2 December 1973. These lectures were some of the last Ri Christmas Lectures to be delivered totally live on the BBC.
We'll be releasing these lectures throughout October, but if you sign up as a Science Supporter you'll get early, ad-free access to all of them now, as well as our other talks, all while supporting our vital scientific work: youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
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Breeding is a natural part of the animal kingdom. Animals need to seek out a mate, with males and females often covering long distances in search of the right mating signal.
Across the animal kingdom, species have developed myriad ways to advertise for a mate. Males possess territory to attract their mates and females have devised ways to announce their presence to the searching male.
When together, animals have further problems to solve particularly when it comes to language. Males need to switch from a language of aggression to one that will encourage a female to stay with them. Oddly, the languages of threat and courtship are remarkably similar. On top of this, there are other more characteristic signals involved in courtship, such as indicating suitable nesting sites, or feeding the mate.
Every species of animal has developed its own special system. These distinctive messages act like passwords, preventing animals of different species trying to breed with one another. It is this language of courtship that has given rise to some of the most beautiful and extraordinary sights and sounds in all of nature.
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Sir David Attenborough's 1973 CHRISTMAS LECTURES - The languages of animals:
Breaking the cardinal rule of broadcast television – ‘never work with animals or children’ – Sir David Attenborough demonstrates the varied means by which animals convey information to one another and reveals a collection of diverse and complicated behaviours.
From visual signals to distinctive scents, the series explores the vast repertoire of animal language as well as the diverse meaning of messages, whether it be attracting a mate or acting as a warning signal.
As David explains, getting the right message across often means the difference between life and death. Parents communicate with their young, infants signal when they’re in distress and specific colours can signal danger. Other animals have also devised clever deceptions, mimicking the warning signals of others without actually possessing a physical threat.
Language is shown to be a universal tool of the animal kingdom but, asks David, how can we learn what animals are saying to each other and how does their language compare to our own? The series concludes by exploring whether it is possible for us to communicate with animals and if we could ever hope to teach an animal to use a human language.
Find out more about the CHRISTMAS LECTURES here: rigb.org/christmas-lectures
----
Help us find the missing CHRISTMAS LECTURES
The fourth lecture in the series, 'Simple Signs and Complicated Communications', is considered a missing a lecture, as there is no known copy of it.
If you do have a copy of the recording, we would love it if you got in touch with us at xmaslectures@ri.ac.uk to help us make all our CHRISTMAS LECTURES available for future generations.
----
Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
The Ri is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ri_science
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Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
Watch all the lectures in this series here: youtube.com/watch?v=9REGwlxfWrg&list=PLbnrZHfNEDZxzfCp3IAiaWpNALHeN2Leh
Watch our newest Christmas lectures here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZyQJZLPMjwEoOLdkFBLU2m1
This lecture was filmed at the Ri on Saturday 01 Dec 1973. These lectures were some of the last Ri Christmas Lectures to be delivered totally live on the BBC.
We'll be releasing these lectures throughout October, but if you sign up as a Science Supporter you'll get early, ad-free access to all of them now, as well as our other talks, all while supporting our vital scientific work: youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
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Animals must defend themselves, not only against other creatures that want to eat them, but sometimes against creatures of their own kind.
The first line of defence that animals use is warning. To warn off danger, many creatures will adopt alarm signals to scare the other away.
Physical fighting with claws is dangerous and destructive, and it is far better for the animal to avoid bloodshed. So animals have developed other ways of threatening each other. Often, they will exaggerate their own strength or fierceness. Some animals will even pretend to be a different creature altogether.
In many cases, joint action is more effective and animals will join forces to make a united threat.
In addition to protecting themselves from predation, males also have an additional problem within their species in maintaining their territory. Using a variety of methods, males will often 'mark' out their territory on a plot of land to signal to other males that it is theirs to keep. Once this has been secured, males may use this territory all year round all perhaps just for breeding.
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David Attenborough's 1973 CHRISTMAS LECTURES - The languages of animals:
Breaking the cardinal rule of broadcast television – ‘never work with animals or children’ – Sir David Attenborough demonstrates the varied means by which animals convey information to one another and reveals a collection of diverse and complicated behaviours.
From visual signals to distinctive scents, the series explores the vast repertoire of animal language as well as the diverse meaning of messages, whether it be attracting a mate or acting as a warning signal.
As David explains, getting the right message across often means the difference between life and death. Parents communicate with their young, infants signal when they’re in distress and specific colours can signal danger. Other animals have also devised clever deceptions, mimicking the warning signals of others without actually possessing a physical threat.
Language is shown to be a universal tool of the animal kingdom but, asks David, how can we learn what animals are saying to each other and how does their language compare to our own? The series concludes by exploring whether it is possible for us to communicate with animals and if we could ever hope to teach an animal to use a human language.
Find out more about the CHRISTMAS LECTURES here: rigb.org/christmas-lectures
----
Help us find the missing CHRISTMAS LECTURES
The fourth lecture in the series, 'Simple Signs and Complicated Communications', is considered a missing a lecture, as there is no known copy of it.
If you do have a copy of the recording, we would love it if you got in touch with us at xmaslectures@ri.ac.uk to help us make all our CHRISTMAS LECTURES available for future generations.
----
Subscribe for regular science videos: http://bit.ly/RiSubscRibe
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This lecture was recorded at the Ri on 14 June 2024.
Following two decades of steadfast research, the first-ever UK human womb transplant took place between two sisters in early 2023.
Join surgeons and co-leaders of the effort Richard Smith and Isabel Quiroga as they share the remarkable 25-year journey of research and collaboration, and the hope to extend this life-changing opportunity to more people in the future, marking a significant milestone in medical history.
The transplant, co-led by teams from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, took nearly 18 hours and paved the way for potential motherhood. The successful procedure highlights the plight of one in five thousand UK women without a viable womb, offering hope to those who have undergone a hysterectomy. While the UK celebrates its inaugural transplant, the global count is around 100, with 50 babies born from such procedures since 2013.
Join two leaders in the field as they explore the future of womb transplants in the UK and beyond.
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Isabel Quiroga was born in Spain and obtained her medical degree from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. After graduating she moved to the UK and completed her surgical training in the North Midlands, Cardiff and Oxford. She has a D.Phil. in Transplant Immunology from the University of Oxford and Master in Humanitarian Medicine from The University Miguel Hernandez in Alicante, Spain. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
She worked as a Consultant Transplant Surgeon at the Royal Free Hospital in London and then was appointed as a Consultant Surgeon in Oxford in 2010. Isabel Quiroga specialises in renal and pancreas transplantation, vascular access surgery and endocrine surgery. She is the Clinical Lead for Organ Retrieval in Oxford and has been the course director of the National Organ Retrieval Masterclass in the UK for 9 years. She has collaborated with colleagues in India China and Turkey to develop training courses and webinars in organ donation and retrieval in those countries.
In collaboration with Professor Richard Smith and his gynaecology colleagues at Imperial College, London, she has established the first uterus transplant programme in the UK.
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Professor J. Richard Smith MD, FRCOG is a consultant gynaecological surgeon at the West London Gynaecological Cancer Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College NHS Trust. He was Adjunct Associate Professor at the New York University School of Medicine from 2001 to 2021 and is currently Professor of Practice at Imperial College. He moved to Hammersmith/Queen Charlotte’s Hospital almost 20 years ago where his sub-specialisation of gynaecology is oncology. Within this he specialises in gestational trophoblastic disease, ovarian germ cell tumours, cervical cancer and vulval disease.
He co invented the procedure of radical abdominal trachelectomy to remove cervical cancers while allowing future pregnancies and also the modified Strassman procedure, fertility sparing surgery for woman with rare uterine tumours. In addition, he invented the Smith’s safety needle holder. He is a registered colposcopist and has a long-running interest in the management of pelvic pain and the psychology both of his patients and of the operating theatre.
Professor Smith began his research into the potential of Uterine Transplantation to help those woman of child bearing age who do not have a viable womb, in the late 1990s. Some years later he founded the charity Womb Transplant UK which helps to fund research including two programmes of transplant operations. He is the Chairman of the charity and leader if the Charity’s research team. He is an Honorary Consultant in Transplantation Surgery at the University of Oxford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
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Buy Sean's book 'The Biggest Ideas in the Universe 1: Space, Time and Motion': here: geni.us/BrCs
This livestream was recorded at the Ri on the 24 July 2024.
You can watch Sean's first lecture in this series here: youtu.be/BRudidBcfXk
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Immense, strange and infinite, the world of modern physics often feels impenetrable to the undiscerning eye. A jumble of muons, gluons and quarks are impossible to explain without several degrees and a research position at CERN.
But it doesn’t have to be this way!
In this livestream, world-renowned theoretical physicist and bestselling author Sean Carroll guides you through the biggest ideas in the universe. In an elegant and simple way, Carroll unravels a web of theories to get to the heart of the truths they represent about the world around us.
From Schrödinger to Feynman, he travels through the quantum revolution with the twentieth century's greatest minds. Exploring how several decades of research overturned centuries of convention, he provides a dazzling tour of the most exciting ideas in modern science.
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Sean Carroll is Homewood Professor of natural philosophy at Johns Hopkins University. He won the Royal Society Winton Prize for his book about the search for the elusive Higgs boson, The Particle at the End of the Universe, and The Big Picture was an international bestseller. His most recent book is Something Deeply Hidden. He lives in Baltimore.
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youtube.com/channel/UCYeF244yNGuFefuFKqxIAXw/join
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This lecture was recorded at the Ri on 9 September 2024, in partnership with Digital Science.
00:00 Introduction to Rodney
02:39 The global skateboarding community
6:27 How creativity and imagination work together
9:49 The language of skateboarding tricks
14:34 Embodied cognition and learning
22:00 Breaking through the barrier of disbelief
26:41 Discovery and the scientific method
36:20 How setbacks can create innovation
Join Rodney Mullen, one of the most influential skateboarders of all time, as he breaks down the science of skateboarding. From the basics of balance and motion to the complexities of executing flawless tricks, Rodney delves into the biomechanics that make skateboarding possible. His insights not only highlight the artistry involved, but also the scientific pursuit of innovation that underpins every move.
Whether you’re a seasoned skater, a science enthusiast, or someone who’s simply curious about the mechanics of this dynamic sport, this talk has something for everyone.
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Rodney Mullen is an American professional skateboarder who practices freestyle skateboarding and street skateboarding. He is considered one of the most influential skateboarders of all time. Mullen is credited for inventing numerous tricks, including the flatground ollie, kickflip, heelflip, impossible, and 360-flip. As a result, he has been called the "Godfather of modern freestyle skating".
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Join Lee McIntyre as he equips us with the tools to combat an era of disinformation. Drawing from his two decades of experience as a scholar dedicated to unravelling the intricacies of science denial, Lee will explore how higher powers can weaponise science and how the channels through which this disinformation spreads can be disrupted.
Travel back through the evolution of strategic denialism and learn how this has influenced our current political landscape. By peeling back the layers and exposing the roots of disinformation, Lee will highlight how the well-worn tactics of climate deniers and anti-vaxxers can be seen today and how contemporary political figures have employed disinformation tactics forged by Russian and Soviet intelligence dating back a hundred years.
From increased social media regulation and algorithmic transparency to the election of leaders armed with the ability to steer us towards a more resilient society, Lee provides a comprehensive plan for empowerment and action.
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Lee McIntyre is a Research Fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and a recent Lecturer in Ethics at Harvard Extension School. He holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Michigan. He has taught philosophy at Colgate University (where he won the Fraternity and Sorority Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching Philosophy), Boston University, Tufts Experimental College, Simmons College, and Harvard Extension School (where he received the Dean’s Letter of Commendation for Distinguished Teaching). Formerly Executive Director of the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University, he has also served as a policy advisor to the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard and as Associate Editor in the Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. McIntyre’s popular essays have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Nature, Newsweek, Scientific American, the Times Higher Education Supplement, the Humanist, and numerous other venues. He has appeared on CNN International on Amanpour and Company—and several other programs on PBS, NPR and the BBC—and has spoken at the United Nations, NASA, and the Vatican.
---
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Discover what the 3D map spanning 300 million galaxies and extensive supernovae has so far revealed, including its confirmation of the prevailing model of cold dark matter and a remarkably accurate cosmological constant.
But this remarkable survey doesn’t just advance our scientific understanding – Ofer sheds light on the human dimension of this project, sharing anecdotes of the long-term commitment and collaboration of the hundreds of scientists involved and the resilience they’ve shown in overcoming challenges along the way.
Join Ofer to explore the global nature of scientific progress, where teamwork and perseverance shape groundbreaking discoveries. The DES not only helps to reveal the mysteries of dark energy but also highlights the collective dedication and collaborative spirit that fuels scientific exploration.
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Ofer Lahav holds the Perren Chair of Astronomy at University College London (UCL) and is Vice-Dean (International) of the UCL Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MAPS). Additionally, he co-directs the STFC Centre for Doctoral Training in Data Intensive Science. Specialising in Observational Cosmology, Lahav focuses on probing Dark Matter and Dark Energy, utilising Machine Learning for Big Data applications. Having served as the Head of Astrophysics at UCL from 2004 to 2011 and as Vice-Dean (Research) of UCL's Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences from 2011 to 2015, Oher has played key roles in academic leadership. He served as Vice-President of the Royal Astronomical Society from 2010 to 2012 and played a pivotal role in founding the Dark Energy Survey (DES). His multi-faceted roles and groundbreaking research highlight his commitment to advancing the field of observational cosmology and understanding the fundamental properties of the universe.
---
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This video was originally recorded for the play The Square Root of a Sonnet by Nilanjan P. Choudhury, which explores the intriguing, complex, and often tumultuous relationship between Chandra and Eddington. To learn more about the play visit: nilanjan.net/the-square-root-of-a-sonnet
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--
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar FRS was an Indian-American theoretical physicist who made significant contributions to the scientific knowledge about the structure of stars, stellar evolution and black holes. He was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in physics along with William A. Fowler for "...theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars". His mathematical treatment of stellar evolution yielded many of the current theoretical models of the later evolutionary stages of massive stars and black holes.Many concepts, institutions and inventions, including the Chandrasekhar limit and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, are named after him.
Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington OM FRS was an English astronomer, physicist, and mathematician. He was also a philosopher of science and a populariser of science. The Eddington limit, the natural limit to the luminosity of stars, or the radiation generated by accretion onto a compact object, is named in his honour.
In the 1930s, Chandra and Eddington were involved in a famous disagreement over the correct theory to describe the final stages of a star's lifecycle.
--
Martin John Rees, Baron Rees of Ludlow, OM, FRS, HonFREng, FMedSci, FRAS, HonFInstP is a British cosmologist and astrophysicist. He is the UK's Astronomer Royal. He is based at Cambridge University where he is a Fellow (and Former Master) of Trinity College. He is a member of the House of Lords, and a former President of the Royal Society. His research interests include space exploration, black holes, galaxy formation, the multiverse and prospects for extraterrestrial life. He is co-founder of the Centre for the Study of Existential Risks at Cambridge University (CSER). In addition to academic publications, research papers he has written many general articles and ten books, most recently 'On the Future: Prospects for Humanity'.
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Image Credits
00:20 – Eddington Portrait 1 - Bain News Service
00:33 – Greenwich Observatory - Wellcome Collection
00:37 – Greenwich Observatory – Mike Peel
00:58 – Eclipse Instruments - A. S. Eddington, Cambridge University Press. 1920.
01:04 – Solar Eclipse - F. W. Dyson, A. S. Eddington, and C. Davidson. 1919.
01:17 – Eddington, Einstein, Group Photo - H. van Batenburg. Sterrewacht Leiden. 1923.
01:28 – News Headline - New York Times. 1919.
01:51 - Eddington Portrait 2 - Smithsonian Institution
02:22 – Chandra Portrait 1 - Chandra X-Ray Observatory. NASA/SAO.
03:29 - Varena School Building - Villa Monestero
03:56 – Chandra Portrait 2 - Chandra X-Ray Observatory. NASA/SAO.
05:46 – Subrahmanyan and Lalitha Chandrasekhar - Elwood M. Payne. UChicago Photographic Archive.
06:45 - Eddington Portrait 3 - Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 1932.
07:25 – Fundamental Theory Book - AbeBooks. 2014.
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Buy Bruce's book 'The Science of Happiness' here: geni.us/cVG7UeM
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We all seek happiness, but our minds often hinder us. In our mental mazes, we fixate on shortcomings, compare ourselves unfavourably to others, and overlook life's positives.
In this discourse, renowned psychologist and former Christmas Lecturer Bruce Hood shifts focus from self-care to connection. Through seven transformative lessons grounded in neuroscience and developmental psychology, Bruce unveils a new narrative on well-being. From altering your ego to connecting with others, each lesson provides practical takeaways, empowering you to rewire your thinking.
Join Bruce for insights into happiness, breaking free from negative patterns, and transforming life through the science of well-being.
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00:00 Teaching happiness to students
05:37 The science of happiness
07:42 What is happiness and why does it disappear?
13:15 What affects our happiness levels?
16:47 Alter your ego
25:59 Avoiding isolation
29:23 Reject negative comparisons
32:51 Become more optimistic
37:50 Control your attention
47:21 Connect with others
50:04 Get out of your own head
55:06 How to achieve happiness
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Bruce Hood is an award-winning Professor of Developmental Psychology at Bristol University and the author of several books, including SuperSense, The Self Illusion, The Domesticated Brain and Possessed. His course, The Science of Happiness, is the most popular course at Bristol University. He has appeared extensively on TV and radio, including co-hosting the BBC podcast The Happiness Half Hour in 2021. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Society and the British Psychological Society.
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---
Discourses are one of the Ri’s oldest and most prestigious series of talks. Since 1825, audiences in the theatre have witnessed countless mind-expanding moments, including the first public liquefaction of air by James Dewar, the announcement of the electron by JJ Thomson and over 100 lectures by Michael Faraday. In more recent times, we have had Nobel laureates, Fields medal winners, scientists, authors and artists – all from the cutting-edge of their field. Discourses are an opportunity for the best and brightest to share their work with the world.
Steeped in nearly two centuries of tradition, a Discourse is more than just a lecture. The Discourse lasts exactly an hour, and a bell is rung to mark the beginning and end. To keep the focus on the topic, presenters begin sharply at 7:30pm without introduction and we lock the speaker into a room ten minutes ahead of the start (legend has it that a speaker once tried to escape!). Some of our guests and speakers dress smartly for our Discourse events to add to this sense of occasion. Read more about Discourses here: rigb.org/explore-science/explore/blog/history-friday-evening-discourse
--
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This lecture was filmed on 9 April 2024 in association with Digital Science.
Buy Venki's book 'Why We Die: The New Science of Ageing and the Quest for Immortality' here: geni.us/LgdVG3Y
The inevitability of death has haunted humanity throughout its history. Belief systems have risen throughout human civilisation to rationalise and console the concept of death, from the afterlife envisioned in Abrahamic religions to recurrent reincarnation in Eastern religions.
However, there is a growing sense of optimism in our contemporary era. Thanks to a stark revolution in biology, our understanding of the ageing process is progressing rapidly. This includes comprehending why some species have such a great lifespan compared to others and poses the question of whether we as a species could overcome the clutches of disease and live for more extraordinary lengths than ever thought possible.
Join Venki Ramakrishnan, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and former president of the Royal Society, as he navigates this leading-edge research and questions whether mortality is an inevitable part of human existence or if advancements could ever come close to immortality. However, the lengths it has taken to develop this understanding begs the question that death may serve an indispensable purpose and what ethical and societal dilemmas could arise if we try to defer it.
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Venki Ramakrishnan received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the structure and function of the ribosome. He leads a research group at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, UK. `He served as president of the Royal Society from 2015 to 2020, and was appointed to the Order of Merit in 2022. His previous book, the scientific memoir Gene Machine, was published in 2018 to critical acclaim.
---
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The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment, a key component of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, played a pivotal role in verifying the existence of the Higgs Boson particle in collaboration with the ATLAS experiment in 2012.
As we ponder the achievements of this groundbreaking machine, CMS physicist Kathryn Coldham will help us explore its contemporary applications, as more than 5000 researchers worldwide utilise this leading-edge detector to unravel the hidden mysteries of our Universe at its tiniest scale.
In this talk, Kathryn explores the experiment's rich history, shedding light on the significant discoveries it has facilitated. She gives insights into the future of this remarkable endeavour as the LHC pushes the boundaries by colliding particles at unprecedented energy levels. Join us for a glimpse into the forefront of particle physics through the unique perspective of one of its leading researchers.
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Kathryn Coldham is a particle physicist who worked for Princeton University and at CERN, home of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) – the largest particle accelerator in the world. She worked on the LHC’s CMS detector, which is situated 100 metres below the village of Cessy in France. Kathryn contributed to the development of an artificial intelligence algorithm for the detector’s trigger system, which is used to identify data that may contain signs of interesting physics. She was a member of the CMS Collaboration for over five years and graduated with an MSci in Physics at Queen Mary University of London in 2018.
---
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This lecture was filmed at the Ri on 6 December 1977.
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Theoretical work on the origin of solar systems suggests that planets are a frequent, if not invariable, accompaniment of stars. If there are billions of planets, if the origin of life occurs readily under general cosmic conditions, and if there are many worlds much older than the Earth for evolution to work upon, why shouldn’t the galaxy be brimming over with life?
At the time Carl Sagan delivered his CHRISTMAS LECTURES in 1977, the only known planets were the ones in our own solar system. There was no evidence to suggest planets existed outside our solar system, or that there was a star other than our own sun producing planets. This was to change just over a decade later when the first evidence of planets orbiting a star was detected by radio astronomers in 1991.
In the last of his six CHRISTMAS LECTURES, Carl Sagan explores the concept of solar systems outside our own, and asks if this were the case, how similar they might be to ours. With more than 450 extra-solar planets discovered in the past twenty years, Carl's final lecture serves as a reminder of how far we’ve come in our understanding of what exists beyond Earth.
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CARL SAGAN'S 1977 CHRISTMAS LECTURES:
What exists beyond Earth? Over six Lectures presented in 1977, American astronomer and cosmologist Carl Sagan explores the vast expanse of space that surrounds the third planet from the Sun.
Life on Earth
Where at first we could only discern the size of our planet and some knowledge of its atmosphere and configuration, the evolution of planetary exploration has revealed not only intricate details of Earth’s climate and geology, but a multitude of stars and planets besides our own.
Beginning with a closer look at the world we inhabit, Carl explores of the diversity of life on our own planet and the building blocks behind it, before questioning whether the same organic chemistry is occurring on planets in the outer solar system.
The Red Planet
In Lecture three onwards, Carl takes a closer look at our neighbouring planet, Mars. From early interpretations of terrestrial life on its surface to the surprising discoveries made by NASA’s Viking Program, the Red Planet has become the focus of efforts to discern whether intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe.
When Carl delivered his Lectures in the late 1970s, NASA had only just begun its Voyager program to the furthest planets in our solar system and no extra-solar planets were known to exist. Now, over three decades later, astronomers are looking at planets that lie beyond our solar system to ask the very same question we pondered over Mars: is there life out there?
----
ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS LECTURES:
Set up by Michael Faraday when organised education for children was scarce, the Royal Institution CHRISTMAS LECTURES established an exciting new way of presenting science to young people. World-famous scientists have given the Lectures, including Nobel Prize winners William and Lawrence Bragg, Sir David Attenborough, Carl Sagan and Dame Nancy Rothwell.
First broadcast in 1936, the CHRISTMAS LECTURES is the oldest science television series. They have been broadcast every year since 1966 on the BBC and in later years on Channel Five, Channel Four and more4. In 2010, the Lectures returned to BBC Four, and this year were shown on the 26th, 27th and 28th of December. Find out more about the lectures here: rigb.org/christmas-lectures
----
The Ri is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ri_science
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This lecture was filmed at the Ri on 5 December 1977.
---
In his fifth lecture, Carl Sagan takes a look at the design, launch and accomplishments of the Viking mission, a major chapter in the history of planetary exploration.
After Mariner 9's remote orbital inspection of Mars, the Viking program finally allowed scientists to study the Martian surface in detail. The photography of the terrain, the chemical analysis of the soil and testing for microbiological life yielded stunning, yet enigmatic results.
Results returned from the microbiology experiments gave signs consistent with life, however, the search for organic molecules in the Martian soil turned up completely negative. The conflict between these results suggested either the presence of microbiological life or a non-biological, inorganic process occurring within the Martian soil.
Four decades later – following the success of subsequent Mars rovers – the question concerning life on Mars is one that still remains unanswered.
---
CARL SAGAN'S 1977 CHRISTMAS LECTURES:
What exists beyond Earth? Over six Lectures presented in 1977, American astronomer and cosmologist Carl Sagan explores the vast expanse of space that surrounds the third planet from the Sun.
Life on Earth
Where at first we could only discern the size of our planet and some knowledge of its atmosphere and configuration, the evolution of planetary exploration has revealed not only intricate details of Earth’s climate and geology, but a multitude of stars and planets besides our own.
Beginning with a closer look at the world we inhabit, Carl explores of the diversity of life on our own planet and the building blocks behind it, before questioning whether the same organic chemistry is occurring on planets in the outer solar system.
The Red Planet
In Lecture three onwards, Carl takes a closer look at our neighbouring planet, Mars. From early interpretations of terrestrial life on its surface to the surprising discoveries made by NASA’s Viking Program, the Red Planet has become the focus of efforts to discern whether intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe.
When Carl delivered his Lectures in the late 1970s, NASA had only just begun its Voyager program to the furthest planets in our solar system and no extra-solar planets were known to exist. Now, over three decades later, astronomers are looking at planets that lie beyond our solar system to ask the very same question we pondered over Mars: is there life out there?
----
ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS LECTURES:
Set up by Michael Faraday when organised education for children was scarce, the Royal Institution CHRISTMAS LECTURES established an exciting new way of presenting science to young people. World-famous scientists have given the Lectures, including Nobel Prize winners William and Lawrence Bragg, Sir David Attenborough, Carl Sagan and Dame Nancy Rothwell.
First broadcast in 1936, the CHRISTMAS LECTURES is the oldest science television series. They have been broadcast every year since 1966 on the BBC and in later years on Channel Five, Channel Four and more4. In 2010, the Lectures returned to BBC Four, and this year were shown on the 26th, 27th and 28th of December. Find out more about the lectures here: rigb.org/christmas-lectures
----
The Ri is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ri_science
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Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
Watch all six lectures from this series here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZygWxt60aCWSgDcoazRdTY7
Watch our newest Christmas lectures here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZyQJZLPMjwEoOLdkFBLU2m1
This lecture was recorded at the Ri on 3 December 1977.
---
Observing the planets in our solar system from Earth provided limited scope for astronomers wishing to explore them in more detail. To get a better understanding of planets such as Mars, astronomers needed to get a closer look through the use of unmanned space probes which could beam data back remotely.
In this lecture, Carl Sagan explores the surprising discoveries made by Mariner 9, the first unmanned space probe to orbit another planet. This mission went on to provide scientists with a glimpse at Mars that was wildly different from their expectations.
Carl explores the features of Mars as uncovered by Mariner 9, including the formation of craters, presence of volcanoes, polar regions and the significance of its winding sinuous valleys and tributaries.
These findings point towards a planet that has undergone considerable climate change, with early evidence that it might once have been conducive to terrestrial life.
---
CARL SAGAN'S 1977 CHRISTMAS LECTURES:
What exists beyond Earth? Over six Lectures presented in 1977, American astronomer and cosmologist Carl Sagan explores the vast expanse of space that surrounds the third planet from the Sun.
Life on Earth
Where at first we could only discern the size of our planet and some knowledge of its atmosphere and configuration, the evolution of planetary exploration has revealed not only intricate details of Earth’s climate and geology, but a multitude of stars and planets besides our own.
Beginning with a closer look at the world we inhabit, Carl explores of the diversity of life on our own planet and the building blocks behind it, before questioning whether the same organic chemistry is occurring on planets in the outer solar system.
The Red Planet
In Lecture three onwards, Carl takes a closer look at our neighbouring planet, Mars. From early interpretations of terrestrial life on its surface to the surprising discoveries made by NASA’s Viking Program, the Red Planet has become the focus of efforts to discern whether intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe.
When Carl delivered his Lectures in the late 1970s, NASA had only just begun its Voyager program to the furthest planets in our solar system and no extra-solar planets were known to exist. Now, over three decades later, astronomers are looking at planets that lie beyond our solar system to ask the very same question we pondered over Mars: is there life out there?
----
ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS LECTURES:
Set up by Michael Faraday when organised education for children was scarce, the Royal Institution CHRISTMAS LECTURES established an exciting new way of presenting science to young people. World-famous scientists have given the Lectures, including Nobel Prize winners William and Lawrence Bragg, Sir David Attenborough, Carl Sagan and Dame Nancy Rothwell.
First broadcast in 1936, the CHRISTMAS LECTURES is the oldest science television series. They have been broadcast every year since 1966 on the BBC and in later years on Channel Five, Channel Four and more4. In 2010, the Lectures returned to BBC Four, and this year were shown on the 26th, 27th and 28th of December. Find out more about the lectures here: rigb.org/christmas-lectures
----
The Ri is on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ri_science
and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/royalinstitution
and TikTok: tiktok.com/@ri_science
Listen to the Ri podcast: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ri-science-podcast
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Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter
Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won't cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.
Watch all six lectures from this series here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZygWxt60aCWSgDcoazRdTY7
Watch our newest Christmas lectures here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZyQJZLPMjwEoOLdkFBLU2m1
This lecture was recorded at the Ri on 3 December 1977.
---
Cold, arid, and tens of millions of miles away from Earth, Mars has intrigued scientists for centuries. The existence of liquid on its surface was confirmed by NASA’s flyby mission, Mariner 4, in 1965, but the question of whether life exists on our neighbouring planet has remained a subject of much speculation.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, observers using only the naked eye and a telescope saw features on Mars which they interpreted as evidence for a dry but Earth-like climate, for vegetation which grew and decayed with the seasons, and for a great Martian canal network designed by a heroic but dying race of hydraulic engineers.
From its rocky craters to its polar ice caps, Carl describes our understanding of the geology and chemistry of Mars, revealing the discovery of its two moons, Phobos and Deimos, in 1877, and the bizarre one-time suggestion that these moons were artificial satellites launched by an ancient but not extinct Martian civilisation.
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CARL SAGAN'S 1977 CHRISTMAS LECTURES:
What exists beyond Earth? Over six Lectures presented in 1977, American astronomer and cosmologist Carl Sagan explores the vast expanse of space that surrounds the third planet from the Sun.
Life on Earth
Where at first we could only discern the size of our planet and some knowledge of its atmosphere and configuration, the evolution of planetary exploration has revealed not only intricate details of Earth’s climate and geology, but a multitude of stars and planets besides our own.
Beginning with a closer look at the world we inhabit, Carl explores of the diversity of life on our own planet and the building blocks behind it, before questioning whether the same organic chemistry is occurring on planets in the outer solar system.
The Red Planet
In Lecture three onwards, Carl takes a closer look at our neighbouring planet, Mars. From early interpretations of terrestrial life on its surface to the surprising discoveries made by NASA’s Viking Program, the Red Planet has become the focus of efforts to discern whether intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe.
When Carl delivered his Lectures in the late 1970s, NASA had only just begun its Voyager program to the furthest planets in our solar system and no extra-solar planets were known to exist. Now, over three decades later, astronomers are looking at planets that lie beyond our solar system to ask the very same question we pondered over Mars: is there life out there?
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ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS LECTURES:
Set up by Michael Faraday when organised education for children was scarce, the Royal Institution CHRISTMAS LECTURES established an exciting new way of presenting science to young people. World-famous scientists have given the Lectures, including Nobel Prize winners William and Lawrence Bragg, Sir David Attenborough, Carl Sagan and Dame Nancy Rothwell.
First broadcast in 1936, the CHRISTMAS LECTURES is the oldest science television series. They have been broadcast every year since 1966 on the BBC and in later years on Channel Five, Channel Four and more4. In 2010, the Lectures returned to BBC Four, and this year were shown on the 26th, 27th and 28th of December. Find out more about the lectures here: rigb.org/christmas-lectures
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00:00 Intro
00:16 Why do black holes exist?
00:53 Why do black holes emit radiation?
02:52 Why do black holes evaporate?
04:04 Why do black holes slow down time?
05:32 Why do black holes look like that?
Kip Thorne is an acclaimed American physicist renowned for his contributions to astronomy, particularly in validating the existence of gravitational waves, and has an extensive body of work, comprising over 150 articles and several books. Among his notable literary works is 'Black holes and time warps: Einstein's outrageous legacy,' which garnered multiple awards. Recognised as a leading authority on Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, Kip serves as a professor at the California Institute of Technology. Additionally, he collaborated with director Christopher Nolan, serving as a science advisor on various feature films, including the critically acclaimed 'Interstellar' released in 2014. In 2017, Kip was honoured with the Nobel Prize in Physics for his pivotal role in the "contributions to the LIGO detector and the observation of gravitational waves," as stated by the official Nobel Prize website.
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Watch all six lectures from this series here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZygWxt60aCWSgDcoazRdTY7
Watch our newest Christmas lectures here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZyQJZLPMjwEoOLdkFBLU2m1
This lecture was filmed at the Ri on Friday 02 Dec 1977.
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From ancient organisms to the plants and animals we see today, our planet showcases a spectacular array of life. But beneath such diversity lies an underlying unity. All life on Earth is based on two molecules (the proteins and the nucleic acids) and the origin of these molecules in the early stages of our planet’s development is inextricably linked to the origin of life.
In his second CHRISTMAS LECTURES, Carl Sagan travels beyond Earth to explore the possibility of life in outer space.
To find the answer, he looks back to the early stages of the development of our atmosphere. The hydrogen from this atmosphere has since escaped to space from Earth, but not from bigger planets like Jupiter. When the hydrogen-rich gases of the early Earth are mixed together and supplied with energy, the essential molecular building blocks of the proteins and nucleic acids are formed.
As Carl suggests, although this process no longer occurs on Earth, such organic chemistry should be occurring in the outer solar system on Jupiter, and Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. The NASA twin spacecraft Voyager 1 and 2, launched a few months prior to these Lectures in 1977, were sent to space to explore this hypothesis.
---
CARL SAGAN'S 1977 CHRISTMAS LECTURES:
What exists beyond Earth? Over six Lectures presented in 1977, American astronomer and cosmologist Carl Sagan explores the vast expanse of space that surrounds the third planet from the Sun.
Life on Earth
Where at first we could only discern the size of our planet and some knowledge of its atmosphere and configuration, the evolution of planetary exploration has revealed not only intricate details of Earth’s climate and geology, but a multitude of stars and planets besides our own.
Beginning with a closer look at the world we inhabit, Carl explores of the diversity of life on our own planet and the building blocks behind it, before questioning whether the same organic chemistry is occurring on planets in the outer solar system.
The Red Planet
In Lecture three onwards, Carl takes a closer look at our neighbouring planet, Mars. From early interpretations of terrestrial life on its surface to the surprising discoveries made by NASA’s Viking Program, the Red Planet has become the focus of efforts to discern whether intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe.
When Carl delivered his Lectures in the late 1970s, NASA had only just begun its Voyager program to the furthest planets in our solar system and no extra-solar planets were known to exist. Now, over three decades later, astronomers are looking at planets that lie beyond our solar system to ask the very same question we pondered over Mars: is there life out there?
----
ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS LECTURES:
Set up by Michael Faraday when organised education for children was scarce, the Royal Institution CHRISTMAS LECTURES established an exciting new way of presenting science to young people. World-famous scientists have given the Lectures, including Nobel Prize winners William and Lawrence Bragg, Sir David Attenborough, Carl Sagan and Dame Nancy Rothwell.
First broadcast in 1936, the CHRISTMAS LECTURES is the oldest science television series. They have been broadcast every year since 1966 on the BBC and in later years on Channel Five, Channel Four and more4. In 2010, the Lectures returned to BBC Four, and this year were shown on the 26th, 27th and 28th of December. Find out more about the lectures here: rigb.org/christmas-lectures
----
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Watch all six lectures from this series here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZygWxt60aCWSgDcoazRdTY7
Watch our newest Christmas lectures here: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbnrZHfNEDZyQJZLPMjwEoOLdkFBLU2m1
This lecture was filmed at the Ri on Friday 02 Dec 1977.
---
In his first CHRISTMAS LECTURE, American astronomer and cosmologist Carl Sagan explores planet Earth and the place, scale and geometry of the 'pale blue dot' in the Solar System.
Sagan provides a unique insight into the history of our knowledge of the third planet from the Sun, formed 4.5 billion years ago.
Using images and models of the planets in our Solar System, Carl reveals how the heliocentric model of our universe, in which the Earth and planets revolve around the sun, came to replace the earlier Aristotelian idea that our planet was at the centre and everything orbited around it.
As the complexity of observational tools has developed from simple telescopes to complex spacecraft, so too has our understanding of the world we inhabit. Looking back on the evolution in space science in the years since Carl Sagan's Lectures we have made huge advances in our understanding of our planet’s environment, climate, weather, geology and biology – as well as our relative place in the universe.
---
CARL SAGAN'S 1977 CHRISTMAS LECTURES:
What exists beyond Earth? Over six Lectures presented in 1977, American astronomer and cosmologist Carl Sagan explores the vast expanse of space that surrounds the third planet from the Sun.
Life on Earth
Where at first we could only discern the size of our planet and some knowledge of its atmosphere and configuration, the evolution of planetary exploration has revealed not only intricate details of Earth’s climate and geology, but a multitude of stars and planets besides our own.
Beginning with a closer look at the world we inhabit, Carl explores of the diversity of life on our own planet and the building blocks behind it, before questioning whether the same organic chemistry is occurring on planets in the outer solar system.
The Red Planet
In Lecture three onwards, Carl takes a closer look at our neighbouring planet, Mars. From early interpretations of terrestrial life on its surface to the surprising discoveries made by NASA’s Viking Program, the Red Planet has become the focus of efforts to discern whether intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe.
When Carl delivered his Lectures in the late 1970s, NASA had only just begun its Voyager program to the furthest planets in our solar system and no extra-solar planets were known to exist. Now, over three decades later, astronomers are looking at planets that lie beyond our solar system to ask the very same question we pondered over Mars: is there life out there?
----
ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS LECTURES:
Set up by Michael Faraday when organised education for children was scarce, the Royal Institution CHRISTMAS LECTURES established an exciting new way of presenting science to young people. World-famous scientists have given the Lectures, including Nobel Prize winners William and Lawrence Bragg, Sir David Attenborough, Carl Sagan and Dame Nancy Rothwell.
First broadcast in 1936, the CHRISTMAS LECTURES is the oldest science television series. They have been broadcast every year since 1966 on the BBC and in later years on Channel Five, Channel Four and more4. In 2010, the Lectures returned to BBC Four, and last year were shown on the 26th, 27th and 28th of December. Find out more about the lectures here: rigb.org/christmas-lectures
----
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This talk was recorded at the Ri on 3 May 2024, in collaboration with the UK Atomic Energy Authority.
Join us for a riveting discussion led by Sir Ian Chapman on the future of fusion energy. This talk features leading experts in the field, each presenting unique perspectives on the opportunities, challenges, and breakthroughs in fusion technology.
Mike Porton from Tokamak Energy and Ahmed Diallo of ARPA-E (US Dept of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy) explore next-generation tokamaks.
Ahmed Diallo of ARPA-E (US Dept of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy) discusses how the technology is currently funded and how we can drive the innovation and expertise needed in the field.
Susana Reyes, VP for Chamber and Plant Design at Xcimer Energy Corporation, illuminates the financial context for fusion technology and the function of government regulation.
If you liked this talk, check out our other lectures on fusion energy:
- The latest developments in fusion energy youtu.be/jI5K7PCiW3Y
- Could nuclear fusion energy power the future? youtu.be/zYjiNj9E4h8
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This lecture was recorded at the Ri on 24 June 2024.
DIscover the interconnectivity between art and science, as both process and practice – and how humanity's insatiable curiosity fuels the development of both fields. Over the three-decade practice of British artist Conrad Shawcross, he has dedicated himself to delving into the intricate depths of human perception, employing a nuanced fusion of geometry, philosophy, and optics.
Conrad's sculptural works have interrupted and complimented public and institutional spaces worldwide – including a 14-metre-long spiral cast in aluminium at the Oxford Science Park (Fraction (9:8)) and the transformation of the Roundhouse in 2013 into a vast timekeeping device. You might recognise one of his works, Paradigm, a geometric statue outside the Francis Crick Institute – a piece triggered by Thomas Kuhn’s theory of the ‘paradigm shift’.
His oeuvre, veiled in the enigmatic elegance of rational systems, serves as a testament to his relentless exploration of the boundless realms of cognition. With an array of complex experiments, Shawcross boldly challenges the very fabric of our fragile reality. He explores the intersection between art and science that highlights the interconnectivity between the two subjects in a way that few individuals are able in such a powerful way.
In this Discourse, Conrad unveils a mesmerising array of live mechanical contrivances and devices sourced from his most recent body of work. As he navigates through the labyrinthine passages of his artistic evolution, Conrad meticulously traces his trajectory across numerous series, each a poignant exploration of the limits of our perceptual faculties. With a keen focus on the elusive boundaries of human comprehension, he brings clarity to the intricate tapestry of ideas and concepts that transcend the confines of visceral understanding.
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Imbued with an appearance of scientific rationality, Conrad Shawcross’s sculptures explore subjects that lie on the borders of geometry and philosophy, physics and metaphysics. Attracted by failed quests for knowledge in the past, he often appropriates redundant theories and methodologies to create ambitious structural and mechanical montages, using a wide variety of materials and media, and often working on an epic scale. Different technologies and natural forces inspire his forms, but his mysterious machines and structures remain enigmatic, filled with paradox and wonder. Some have an absurdist melancholy feel, while others tend to the sublime.
Shawcross has also experimented with ideal geometries and topologies; these constructions are conceived as systems, sometimes modular, sometimes mechanical, which could be theoretically extended infinitely into space. In these and other sculptures, Shawcross pays tribute to some of the great pioneers and analysts, and considers specific moments or figures from the past. Paradigm (Ode to the Difference Engine), 2006 references the life of Charles Babbage; Space Trumpet, 2007 is informed by the history of early acoustic mapping; the Slow Arc Inside a Cube series, takes its inspiration from the scientist Dorothy Hodgkin’s discovery of the structure of pig insulin; and ADA, 2013 is named after Ada Lovelace, credited by many as the world’s first computer programmer.
Shawcross takes on architectural spaces with work that combines epic scope and poetic grace. Manifold (Major Third) 5:4, 2023 was a major commission for the Crossrail Art Foundation, standing eight metres tall outside the Western entrance of the Elizabeth Line Station, Liverpool Street. Most recently, Shawcross installed Beacons, 2023, on the historical battlements above MICAS in Valletta, Malta. Akin to early warning systems, their semaphoric message, given by two counter-rotating, parallel discs, spells ‘NOW’ out to sea.
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Producer: Eloise Ross
Executive producer: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
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Watch the Q&A here (exclusively for YouTube members): youtu.be/QHyzdfs8GnQ
This lecture was recorded at the Ri on 5 April 2024 in association with Digital Science.
Join mathematician and popular science author Eugenia Cheng as she sheds light on abstract mathematical ideas with examples of social justice, current events, and everyday life.
In this talk, discover how mathematics can be flexible, creative, and visual and how it’s impacting our lives.
Dr Eugenia Cheng is a mathematician, educator, author, public speaker, columnist, concert pianist and artist. She is Scientist In Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She won tenure in Pure Mathematics at the University of Sheffield, UK and is now Honorary Visiting Fellow at City, University of London. She has previously taught at the Universities of Cambridge, Chicago and Nice and holds a PhD in pure mathematics from the University of Cambridge. Alongside her research in Category Theory and undergraduate teaching her aim is to rid the world of “math phobia”.
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The plasma toroid is a phenomena that has been known for over 100 years. Discharges like this have been seen by many plasma artists and researchers. The plasma toroid became popular on YouTube due to numerous science communicators reproducing the effect.
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This lecture was filmed at the Ri on 14 May 2024, in collaboration with The Faraday Institution.
Between 750-800 million people globally lack access to a reliable source of electricity. One possible solution to enhance the reliability of energy supply and maximise power availability from low-carbon, renewable energy sources is the increased use of battery energy storage. In the latest public engagement event in partnership with Faraday Institution, we take a deep dive into the research, systems engineering, and logistical challenges (and their solutions) of accelerating the deployment of batteries in emerging economies for micro-mobility and static energy storage.
Professor Charlotte Watts, Chief Scientific Advisor at the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) outlines how batteries can play a pivotal role in emerging economies. From there, discover the current state of play of sodium-ion batteries with Emma Kendrick, Professor of Energy Materials at the University of Birmingham, and learn about the importance of diagnostics and systems engineering in extending the life of batteries with David Howey, Professor of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford. We are also delighted to welcome Okenwa Anayo Nas, Founder and CEO of Nayo Tropical Technologies, to provide an on-the-ground perspective of energy storage innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa.
00:00 Introduction with Charlotte Watts
08:50 Sodium-ion batteries for emerging economies – Emma Kendrick
27:17 Battery life diagnostics – David Howey
47:10 Nayo Tropical Technology in Nigeria - Okenwa Anayo Nas
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Professor Charlotte Watts is Chief Scientific Adviser and Director for Research and Evidence at the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). She is seconded from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she is Professor of Social and Mathematical Epidemiology. Charlotte is the most senior scientist in FCDO, with responsibility for providing scientific advice to the Foreign Secretary, Ministers, the Permanent Under-Secretary and Executive Committee, including during the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies. She heads the Research and Evidence Directorate, that brings together leadership of FCDO’s expert geopolitical and development advisors, FCDO’s significant research and technology development investments, and jointly oversees (with the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology) the UK’s overseas science and innovation diplomatic network.
Professor Emma Kendrick has worked in industry and academic extensively on energy materials and devices; batteries and fuel cells, and has 70 papers and 21 patent family applications in this field. Her recent book chapter on Advanced Battery manufacturing is being published by the RSC.
Professor David Howey received his MEng degree from Cambridge University (2002) and PhD degree from Imperial College London (2010) on the topic of heat transfer in electrical machines. He also worked as an engineering consultant between 2002 and 2005. In 2011, David moved to Oxford where he is now Professor of Engineering Science and Tutorial Fellow at St Hilda’s College.
Okenwa Anayo Nas is Founder and CEO of one of the top Nigerian solar firms, Nayo Tropical Technology Limited. Okenwa has deep experience in both the technical and financial realms of Renewable energy development, while managing a team of 43 full time employees. Okenwa holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Enugu State University of Science and technology). Nayo Tropical Technology (NTT) has been at the forefront of renewable energy technology development in Nigeria and Africa for the past two decades. NTT is a vertically integrated cleantech Company with core activities in Renewable energy Utilities, Product development and full EPC. In 2020, NTT commissioned the first interconnected mini-grid in Nigeria.
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This talk was recorded at the Ri on 15 June 2024.
Beyond mere entertainment, games serve as dynamic tools for learning about the world, understanding the intricacies of our minds, and even forecasting the future. But these insights beg the question: what happens when games blur the line between fiction and reality?
Kelly will trace the evolution of games since the Enlightenment, traversing diverse realms such as military theory, biology, AI, neuroscience and the evolving landscape of democracy.
From the influence of war games on the outcomes of actual conflicts in nineteenth and twentieth-century Europe to the transformative impact of game theory on our understanding of human behaviour, games have left an indelible mark. Discover their profound effects on all aspects of our society, from technology to economics and politics.
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00:00 Intro
3:20 The play instinct in humans and animals
8:44 How uncertainty and dopamine influence play
12:54 The history of gambling and chance
15:12 Probability theory and Blaise Pascal
21:54 Can we understand war through games?
30:41 Game theory as a branch of mathematics
36:33 Artificial intelligence and games
42:11 Gamifying reality and human behaviour
48:13 Using games to increase organ donation
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Kelly Clancy is an accomplished neuroscientist and physicist with an illustrious research career. She has been honored with fellowships from HFSP, EMBO, and the National Science Foundation, as well as receiving the prestigious Regeneron Prize for creative innovation in biomedicine. A recipient of the Branco Weiss Fellowship and the Berkeley Fellowship, Kelly's insightful writing has graced publications like Wired, The New Yorker, Nautilus, Utne Reader, Harper's Magazine, and the Massachusetts Review.
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The plasma toroid is a phenomena that has been known for over 100 years. Discharges like this have been seen by many plasma artists and researchers. The plasma toroid became popular on YouTube due to numerous science communicators reproducing the effect.
One of the earliest is from Zerg Labs in 2022 (youtu.be/RmjgsaM4_mc), with postings as early as 2019 on other social media channels. The Zerg Lab video inspired Tate McAluney (youtube.com/@BackMacSci) to reproduce the demonstration. David was inspired by Tate’s demonstration to create his own demonstration, presented here.
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Prof David Ricketts is an Innovation Fellow in the Technology and Entrepreneurship Centre at Harvard University. He works with organisations around the globe, such as Mastercard, Ubisoft, Disney, General Motors, Dell and Ferarri to accelerate innovation.
David is also an accomplished academic, having his work appear twice in Nature as well as other distinguished publications and books. He is recipient of the National Science Foundation (US) CAREER award and the DARPA Young Faculty Award for his work on nano-electromagnetic devices. His innovations include a re-programmable, self-assembling matter, an American football tracking for sports visualisation with Disney/ESPN, and an advanced wireless power systems for next-generation cars with General Motors Research.
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Watch the Q&A here: youtu.be/ajl2somO9zk
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This talk was recorded at the Ri on 1 May 2024.
The cosmic mystery of extraterrestrial life has captivated humanity for centuries. Now, with leading-edge technology, the quest for tangible answers begins. Lisa Kaltenegger, founding director of Cornell University's Carl Sagan Institute, has assembled a multidisciplinary team of experts to craft a specialised toolkit for extraterrestrial exploration.
Lisa takes us on an enthralling journey across the Universe, utilising her theory that Earth can be used as a Rosetta Stone to decode the potential for life on distant planets. In this talk, discover some of the most extraordinary exoplanets, from those veiled in oceans of lava to solitary nomads adrift in space to others basking under the light of multiple suns.
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Lisa Kaltenegger is the Director of the Carl Sagan Institute to Search for Life in the Cosmos at Cornell and Associate Professor in Astronomy. She is a pioneer and world-leading expert in modelling potential habitable worlds and their detectable spectral fingerprint. Her research focuses on rocky planets circling other stars, with a focus on potentially Earth-like exoplanets in the Habitable Zone. Lisa also serves among others on the National Science Foundation's Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee (AAAC), and on NASA senior review of operating missions. She is a Science Team Member of NASA's TESS Mission as well as the NIRISS instrument on JWST. Named one of America’s Young Innovators by Smithsonian Magazine, an Innovator to Watch by TIME Magazine Lisa was selected as one of the European Commission’s Role Models for Women in Science and Research. She is part of the IMAX 3D movie "The Search for Life in Space" and gives public lectures, including at Aspen Ideas Festival, TED Youth, World Science Festival and the Kavli Foundation lecture at the Adler Planetarium which was live-streamed to 6 continents. Asteroid Kaltenegger7734 is named after her.
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This lecture was recorded at the Ri on 20 April 2024, in collaboration with the Martingale Foundation. Martingale Foundation supports a new generation of postgraduates to become STEM leaders, enabling talented students facing financial barriers to pursue Masters and PhDs at some of the leading research universities in the UK. Find out more here: https://martingale.foundation/
As our world becomes increasingly digital, the role of data science and AI literacy is more important than ever. Whether in academia, the professional world, or as engaged citizens, understanding these technologies has become indispensable for informed decision-making.
Join Emma McCoy, Vice President and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) and Professor of Statistics at the London School of Economics (LSE), as she sheds light on the importance of these skills by drawing on her own experiences. Emma will guide us through the landscape of data science, emphasising its role in extracting meaningful insights. She will also highlight the importance of AI literacy, going beyond basic understanding to critically assess and interpret AI outputs.
Finally, Emma will address the potential pitfalls of these skills as well as their applications, arming us with tips and tricks to avoid biases in the quest for accurate results.
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Emma McCoy is Vice President and Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) and Professor of Statistics at the London School of Economics (LSE). She has a particular interest in mathematics education and is a member of the Royal Society Advisory Committee of Mathematics Education (ACME), and its A-level Contact Group for Mathematics. Emma’s research interests are in time series and causal inference, with a particular focus on how best to use data to inform intervention policies in transport applications. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications and the Royal Statistical Society.
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0:00 Introduction
0:58 The basics of cheese
3:15 The fermentation process
4:44 The power of salt
5:20 Cheese tasting
6:35 Why does cheese smell?
9:15 The history of cheese
10:45 Tasting St James cheese
13:07 How do we choose the right microbes?
16:11 What can we learn from cheese
20:06 The ‘goaty’ flavour of Goat’s cheese
21:23 The biggest threat to artisanal cheese
26:20 Becoming a cheese scientist
Bronwen Percival is the cheese buyer for Neal’s Yard Dairy in London. In addition to working with cheesemakers and the company’s maturation team to select and optimize the quality of the cheese they sell, she works to mobilize collaboration between cheesemakers and the scientific community. In 2012, she instigated a biennial conference on the Science of Artisan Cheese. In early 2014, she spent two months in the Dutton Lab at Harvard University studying the role of marine-associated Proteobacteria on cheese rinds. Along with Dr. Benjamin Wolfe, she co-founded the website MicrobialFoods.org, a scientific resource for producers, purveyors, and enthusiasts of artisan microbial foods, and more recently she served on the editorial board of the Oxford Companion to Cheese.
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This talk was recorded at the Ri on 22 April 2024.
Join Chris French, psychologist and expert on all things paranormal, as he reveals the cardinal truths behind everything from ghostly encounters and alien abductions, to UFO sightings and near-death experiences. By employing rigorous scientific methods, Chris will embark on a search for the truth behind these mystical occurrences.
Chris' intellectual journey carries us through the debunking of extrasensory perception (ESP), endeavours to communicate with the departed, and even accounts of alien abductions, among other curious occurrences. These phenomena also offer a profound insight into the intricacies of human cognition and consciousness, and should be systematically studied accordingly. By employing an academic, comprehensive, logical, and occasionally mathematical approach, Chris demystifies what once seemed beyond explanation. Allow yourself to discover the overlap between belief, the human mind, and the mysteries that continue to intrigue and perplex us.
00:00 Intro
1:29 What is anomalistic psychology?
3:33 Testing paranormal claims: baby psychic
10:40 Testing paranormal claims: dream detective
21:02 Testing paranormal claims: sensing the future
24:58 The replication problem in psychology
27:59 Why study paranormal psychology?
29:25 Demo: The unreliability of memory
32:20 Inattentional blindness of witnesses
37:44 Spoon bending and memory conformity
42:59 How false memories can be implanted
48:19 Alien experiences, sleep paralysis and hypnosis
54:28 Top down processing and pareidolia
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Chris French is the Head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a Patron of the British Humanist Association. He has published over 150 articles and chapters covering a wide range of topics. His main current area of research is the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences. He frequently appears on radio and television casting a sceptical eye over paranormal claims.
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This talk was recorded at the Ri on 26 April 2024.
Just a century ago, observational evidence established the existence of other galaxies besides our own. Soon afterwards, it was discovered that the Universe is expanding, driving a profound change in our understanding of the cosmos. In 1998, the prevailing cosmological paradigm was again upended by the discovery that the Universe's expansion is accelerating.
Since then, the remarkable progress in cosmology, spanning Peiris's research career, has been driven by the close interplay between theory and observations. Observational discoveries have led to a Standard Model of cosmology with ingredients not present in the standard model of particle physics – dark matter, dark energy, and a primordial origin for cosmic structure. The physical nature of these ingredients remains a mystery. The race to unravel this cosmic puzzle is now underway, motivating a new generation of ambitious sky surveys across the electromagnetic spectrum and using new messengers such as gravitational waves.
Peiris describes some highlights from her journey through this rapidly changing cosmological landscape in this discourse. She also discusses how laboratory experiments are helping us test new fundamental physics paradigms developed to explain cosmological observations.
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00:00 Intro
1:30 How do we know about the universe?
7:55 Tracing the light of galaxies
13:00 The Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST)
16:53 Mapping dark matter with gravitational lensing
22:30 How do we know how far away galaxies are?
32:03 Using machine learning to explore galaxies
35:50 Detecting dark matter in the lab
46:31 The Universe on a table-top
54:58 Condensed matter experiment and cosmology
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Hiranya Peiris holds the Professorship of Astronomy (1909) at Cambridge, the first woman to do so in the 115-year history of this prestigious chair. As a cosmologist, she delves into cosmic mysteries at the edge of our understanding, reaching back to the very first moments of the Universe after the Big Bang, often treading the path of high risk and high reward. She is noted for interdisciplinary research bridging fundamental physics with astronomical data. Peiris recently contributed to the anthology “The Sky Is For Everyone” and works to reach beyond traditional audiences for public engagement, including through science/art collaborations and live science/music events. Her work has been recognised by awards such as the Max Born Prize of the German Physical Society and the Institute of Physics (2021), the Eddington Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (2021) and the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics (2018).
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Discourses are one of the Ri’s oldest and most prestigious series of talks. Since 1825, audiences in the theatre have witnessed countless mind-expanding moments, including the first public liquefaction of air by James Dewar, the announcement of the electron by JJ Thomson and over 100 lectures by Michael Faraday. In more recent times, we have had Nobel laureates, Fields medal winners, scientists, authors and artists – all from the cutting-edge of their field. Discourses are an opportunity for the best and brightest to share their work with the world.
Steeped in nearly two centuries of tradition, a Discourse is more than just a lecture. The Discourse lasts exactly an hour, and a bell is rung to mark the beginning and end. To keep the focus on the topic, presenters begin sharply at 7:30pm without introduction and we lock the speaker into a room ten minutes ahead of the start (legend has it that a speaker once tried to escape!). Some of our guests and speakers dress smartly for our Discourse events to add to this sense of occasion. Read more about Discourses here: rigb.org/explore-science/explore/blog/history-friday-evening-discourse
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This lecture was recorded at the Ri on 20 November 2023.
Every second of our lives - whether we're looking both ways before crossing the street, celebrating the birth of a baby, or moving to a new city - we must cope with an unknowable future by telling stories about what will happen next.
What we think we know about it at all scales, from the predictive mechanisms of single-celled organisms and tomato plants to the merging of colossal galaxies billions of years from now. Drawing together science, history and philosophy from a huge range of places and times, David will explore how we prepare for uncertain futures, including the future of human evolution, artificial intelligence, interstellar travel, and more.
For all those curious about what the world could look like in the next hundred years and what the solutions to the biggest challenges facing us all could look like, this is an unmissable event.
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David Christian is a Professor Emeritus at Macquarie University, where he was formerly a Distinguished Professor of History and the director of the Big History Institute. He cofounded the Big History Project with Bill Gates, his Coursera MOOCs are popular around the world, and he is cocreator of the Macquarie University Big History School.
He has delivered keynotes at conferences around the world, including the Davos World Economic Forum, and his TED Talk has been viewed more than twelve million times. He is the author of numerous books and articles, as well as the New York Times bestseller Origin Story.
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This talk was recorded at the Ri on 13 April 2024.
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Claudia de Rham has been playing with gravity her entire life. As a diver, experimenting with her body’s buoyancy in the Indian Ocean. As a pilot, soaring over Canadian waterfalls on dark mornings before beginning her daily scientific research. As an astronaut candidate, dreaming of the experience of flying free from Earth’s pull. And as a physicist, discovering new sides to gravity’s irresistible personality by exploring the limits of Einstein’s general theory of relativity.
Join Claudia as she narrates her captivating experiences, navigating the collapse of her dream of becoming an astronaut to the pursuit of finally uncovering the truths of gravity. The brightest minds in physics, from Newton and Einstein to Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose, have yet to uncover gravity’s secrets, but their knowledge allowed Claudia to reimagine the theory of massive gravity to finally rid the “ghosts” of gravity – dark energy. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a world leader in theoretical physics, as she unravels the turbulent tales of her success.
00:00 Intro - why can't we feel gravity?
4.29 The equivalence principle
7.28 The fabric of spacetime
11:27 Electromagnetism and gravity
16:42 Gravitational waves and Einstein
19:54 The fundamental forces of nature
28:07 The graviton particle
32:51 How gravity behaves in black holes
40:06 Where Einstein's theory of relativity breaks down
49:02 How to weaken gravity
57:01 What would happen if gravitons had mass?
59:06 The importance of gravity
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Claudia de Rham is a professor of theoretical physics at Imperial College London, a Simons Emmy Noether Visiting Fellow at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and an adjunct professor of physics at Case Western Reserve University. She researches gravity, particle physics, and cosmology, in pursuit of a more fundamental description of the nature of our universe. De Rham is a 2020 Simons Investigator in Physics, a 2020 Blavatnik Laureate in Physical Sciences and Engineering, and winner of the 2018 Adams Prize for contributions to Mathematics (previous winners include Stephen Hawking and James Clerk Maxwell). She and her research have been featured in the Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Quanta, and BBC’s “The Naked Scientists,” among other outlets, and she appeared in “Through the Wormhole,” a science documentary series hosted by Morgan Freeman.
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Jules takes us on a journey back through the history of eggs, their surprisingly fundamental role in everything from the extinction of dinosaurs to the evolution of the human brain.
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Producer: Lia Hale
Interviewer: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
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This lecture was recorded on 3 October 2023 at the Ri.
We had some difficulties with the internet connection at the beginning of this video, but it improves after that, so keep watching!
00:00 Introduction
2:30 The importance of making mistakes
7:30 Tools of the mind
11:20 How can you get the right knowledge?
14:24 Douglas Hofstadter and Joosting
19:46 Richard Dawkins and memes
22:57 Ruth Millikan and language
24:20 Giulio Tononi and the IIT controversy
31:50 Descartes’ mistakes
35:50 Daniel’s biggest mistake
40:43 Helping philosophers and scientists to imagine
43:07 Julian Jaynes, consciousness and dualism
48:22 More iconoclasts of philosophy
52:46 Karl Pribram and James Gibson
From his formative years in Beirut to his academic pursuits at Harvard, and from the vibrant jazz clubs of Paris to his introspective musings on his tractor in Maine, discover the stories behind some of his most influential books, such as 'Consciousness Explained' and 'Darwin's Dangerous Idea'. Whose contents have reshaped our understanding of the mind, consciousness and the nature of the human experience.
Explore Daniel's insight into thinking, as he contends that true thinking is arduous and uncertain. The pursuit of philosophical ideas is often accompanied by confusion, frustration, and self-doubt. It is through these challenging moments of error that we occasionally discover the path to profound insights.
So join us for a unique opportunity to see one of the last talks by one of the greatest philosophers of our time and come on an exhilarating journey of the mind, leaving with new insight into the path to intellectual growth.
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Daniel Clement Dennett was an American philosopher, writer, and cognitive scientist whose research centred on the philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science.
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This Discourse was recorded at the Ri on 27 March 2024.
From particles of astonishing energies erupting from the depths beneath the Antarctic ice to enigmatic forces subtly tugging at the fundamental building blocks of matter, the universe offers us an ever-growing compendium of cosmic riddles. Notably, stars are hurtling away from us at velocities that challenge the boundaries of explanation, leaving scientists astounded by the inexplicable.
Harry will guide us on a journey that spans continents, introducing us to the brilliant minds who have dedicated their careers and reputations to unraveling the mysteries shrouding these cosmic anomalies. Are these cosmic quirks flukes of nature, or do they allude to the hidden parts of the universe we have yet to discover?
Through Harry’s trademark wit and wonder, he opens the door to the tantalizing possibility of untold cosmic realms waiting to be discovered.
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Harry Cliff is a particle physicist at the University of Cambridge working on the LHCb experiment, a huge particle detector buried 100 metres underground at CERN near Geneva. He is a member of an international team of around 1400 physicists, engineers and computer scientists who are using LHCb to study the basic building blocks of our universe, in search of answers to some of the biggest questions in modern physics. His first popular science book, How To Make An Apple Pie From Scratch, was published in August 2021. From 2012 to 2018 he held a joint post between Cambridge and the Science Museum in London, where he curated two major exhibitions: Collider (2013) and The Sun (2018). He has given a large number of public talks, including at TED and the Royal Institution, and made numerous appearances on television, radio and podcasts.
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Discourses are one of the Ri’s oldest and most prestigious series of talks. Since 1825, audiences in the theatre have witnessed countless mind-expanding moments, including the first public liquefaction of air by James Dewar, the announcement of the electron by JJ Thomson and over 100 lectures by Michael Faraday. In more recent times, we have had Nobel laureates, Fields medal winners, scientists, authors and artists – all from the cutting-edge of their field. Discourses are an opportunity for the best and brightest to share their work with the world.
Steeped in nearly two centuries of tradition, a Discourse is more than just a lecture. The Discourse lasts exactly an hour, and a bell is rung to mark the beginning and end. To keep the focus on the topic, presenters begin sharply at 7:30pm without introduction and we lock the speaker into a room ten minutes ahead of the start (legend has it that a speaker once tried to escape!). Some of our guests and speakers dress smartly for our Discourse events to add to this sense of occasion. Read more about Discourses here: rigb.org/explore-science/explore/blog/history-friday-evening-discourse
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