Summer events 2016

Our diverse programme of events from May to August are now open for booking. Don't miss out!


An image of neural pathways in the brain taken using diffusion tensor imaging, developed at the University of Utah.
Thomas Schultz (Own work) CC-BY-SA-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. The dataset is courtesy of Gordon Kindlmann, University of Utah, and Andrew Alexander, University of Wisconsin.

Summer programme

Download the full programme, download the Summer Schools programme, read on for some of the highlights or browse our What's On calendar online to book your events today.

Don't forget, Ri Members benefit from free and discounted tickets.

Mathematics and computing

Adam Kucharski traces the scientific origins of the world's best gambling strategies spanning mathematics, psychology, economics and physics. And the guys from WiFi Wars are back setting up their impressive network so everyone in the audience can play along, ahead of their forthcoming TV show ‘Dara O Briain’s Go 8 Bit’!

Neuroscience

From the neuroscience of addiction to hands-on activities exploring touch at our next Ri Lates, there are plenty of ways to think about the depths of our brains this summer. Psychologist and writer Charles Fernyhough will examine the voices in our heads while Hannah Critchlow will help people of all ages explore our minds.

Discourses

Join Anil Seth for an insight into the state-of-the-art research into the new science of consciousness and find out how new experiments are shedding light on the underlying neural mechanisms.

You can also discover how particle accelerators can be used for far more than studying particle physics. Suzie Sheehy will guide you through the immense range of applications, from treating cancer to purifying drinking water.

Big discoveries

Join Nobel Laureate Art McDonald to hear the story of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory, which observed neutrino properties beyond the Standard Model of Elementary Particles. And don't miss out on your chance to hear more about the exciting discovery of gravitational waves with Sheila Rowan!

Come and meet the star of our solar system with solar physicist and broadcaster Lucie Green and learn from Anita Sengupta, a NASA engineer, about the challenges of landing the Curiosity rover on Mars and what might lie ahead for Mars exploration.

Filming our events

Many of the events in this programme will be filmed and available on the Ri Channel a few months after the event. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive notifications each time a video is released. Each event that will be filmed has a note about it on the webpage.

Short Courses

Our Science Short Courses are aimed at anyone who would like to explore a subject in more depth than a one-off talk, but not as formal as a university course. This season, we have two six-week courses. An introduction to particle physics with Dr Harry Cliff, repeating his course due to popular demand; and an introduction to cosmology with Dr Malcolm Fairbairn.

Family

We have Simon Watt showcasing the ugliest animals on our planet, a Family Fun Day all about imaginative inventions, past, present and future, and a whistle-stop tour of the evolution of movement with Matt Wilkinson. Then an opportunity to explore your mind, the chance to become the latest recruits at the LHC and three demo-packed shows in the summer holidays.

Find out about what family activities we have in our Family section. And our Summer Schools programme is now open for booking, with over 90 fun hands-on workshops for everyone aged seven to 18.

The Royal Institution is closed 19 March

The Ri is closed this week on Tuesday 19 March.