Science play for grown ups at the Royal Institution’s first ever Ri Lates

This autumn will see the start of a new and exciting series of events at the Royal Institution – the Ri Lates. If you’ve ever wondered why the kids get to do all the fun science, then these exciting adults-only takeovers of our historic 21 Albemarle Street home are for you!

Science is all about experimentation and exploration and that shouldn’t just be for the little ones – it’s fun to discover throughout our lives. Ri Lates will have the same hands-on approach as our Family Fun Days to get grown-ups excited about science. At Lates events, you will be able to take part in experiments, listen to engaging talks in our famous lecture theatre, play with materials to explore their properties, take part in creative activities and make things to take home.

Our first ever Ri Lates, Rules of attractionon Friday 24 October 2014, will allow you to question the world around you and show you things in a new light. Why does gunpowder explode? What happens to our judgement when we are attracted to someone? What happens to a liquid full of iron filings?

Our activities and workshops will let you discover the answers first-hand. As part of these eclectic social nights, food and drink stands will be located throughout the building so you can experiment, question, explore and create all evening.

The brand new Ri Lates series will kick off on Friday 24 October at 6.30pm with Rules of attraction. You can try your hand at all things attractive from magnets to explosions, and discover more about what it is that makes us fall in love.

Make your own gunpowder, sniff out a partner, play with magnets, have a drink and grab some food to the live jazz music before practising the rules of courtship at our dance workshops.

What's on?     

• Hear about the weird world of courtship from Prof Judith Mank in our world famous lecture theatre.
  
  
• Make your own Birds of Paradise headdress and model it in our photobooth.
  
  
• Visit the Love Zoo to groom a gorilla, take part in our mating poll and re-enact some insect pheromone interactions.
  
  
• Find out about the secrets of sex in the animal world from Sally Le Page.
  
  
• If you’re not faint-hearted, come to our dissection room to find out what’s actually going on in your chest.
  
  
• Take part in Dr Isabelle Mareschal’s psychology experiment to discover what happens to your judgement when you find someone attractive.
  
  
• Could you flirt with a robot? Prof Peter McOwan and his team use the latest in facial recognition technology to find out.
  
  
• Have a go at Dr Ben Still’s Dating Games and discover the science behind your choices.
  
  
• Experiment with materials science at our hands-on magnetic play area, featuring molten iron pictures, magnetised silly putty and ferrofluid.
  
  
• Last but not least, set off your own gunpowder! Learn how, when a more exciting option becomes available, bonds are broken and new molecules are made.

This event will take place on Friday 24 October from 6.30 - 10.30pm at the Royal Institution, 21 Albemarle Street, London, W1S 4BS, and is strictly for over-18s only.

Ri members, Faraday student members and fellows go free.

Book your tickets now! 

For more information about the event please visit the event page here.