Christmas Lectures and mathematics
Since their inception in the 1820s by Michael Faraday, the Royal Institution [Christmas Lectures] have aimed to engage and inspire young people. Leading scientists share their understanding of critical scientific issues in an insightful, accessible and entertaining manner. Integral to the lectures are amazing demonstrations, that can fascinate, surprise, educate and bring alive the subject matter.
Mathematics has been the focus of the Christmas Lectures three times§,
- Mathematics into pictures by Professor Sir Christopher Zeeman in 1978
- The magical maze by Professor Ian Stewart in 1997
- The NUM8ER MY5TERIES by Professor Marcus du Sautoy in 2006
Amazing offshoots
In 1978, Marcus du Sautoy, then a budding young mathematician, was in the audience for Professor Zeeman's Christmas Lectures! Further, the enthusiasm generated by these lectures led to the establishment of the [Mathematics Masterclasses] programme at the RI. These have been going from strength to strength and enable thousands of young people across the UK to participate in the hands-on and inspired learning that is the hallmark of the Christmas Lectures.
Continuing Access
You can now enjoy the lectures from home, work or school. There are two options:
[Webcasts] - Register on this website and access webcasts of past lectures - there is a wealth of lectures available, over 180, the mathematics ones and classics such as those by Carl Sagan, David Attenborough and Eric Laithwaite. Follow the webcasts link at to find a listing by topic and date. There is an ordering and check-out process, but the webcasts are free!
[DVD and website] - is an interactive website that extends the NUM8ER MY5TERIES and includes transcripts of the lectures. You can also order a DVD of the 2006 lectures - please send a letter stating your full address, together with a cheque or postal order made payable to 'The Royal Institution' for £3.50 per copy (to cover post & packaging), to:
2006 DVD
The Royal Institution
21 Albemarle Street
London W1S 4BS
The NUM8ER MY5TERIES lectures covered:
Lecture 1 - The curious incident of the never-ending numbers (Prime numbers. Infinity)
Lecture 2 - The story of the elusive shapes (Shapes in 2, 3 and 4 dimensions. Fractal geometry and infinite length)
Lecture 3 - The secret of the winning streak (Applying strategy and logic)
Lecture 4 - The case of the uncrackable code (Code systems and their importance. Check digits and error correction)
Lecture 5 - The quest to predict the future (Mechanics. Predicting outcomes using mathematics. Chaos theory)