"My Years Between"
For centuries, the Royal Institution has been synonymous with explosive demonstrations and world-class science communication, from the Christmas Lectures for young audiences to Discourses for adults.
For many visiting us or watching the Christmas Lectures at home, the true heart of the Ri wasn’t just the famous faces at the iconic desk—it was the man standing just a few feet away, ready with a vacuum pump or a Tesla coil.
That man was Bill Coates. Today, we are thrilled to announce that for the first time ever, Bill Coates' own Friday Evening Discourse, "1948-1984: My Years Between," is available to watch online.
The audio-visual quality of the only surviving copy of this lecture isn't the highest, even after some digital restoration. But it's a wonderful record of Coates' masterful knowledge of scientific demonstration, and his unmatched skill as a communicator. You may even recognise some of the iconic demos from Christmas Lectures past, including memorable ones from the 1960s and 1970s.
The Master of Demonstration
Bill Coates was, quite simply, the "unsung hero" of the Ri. Born in the East End of London in 1919, Bill’s journey to the Royal Institution was as remarkable as the experiments he built. After serving in the Parachute Regiment during WWII—including taking part in the D-Day operations—Bill joined the Ri in 1948.
Though he started as a technician, he quickly became the "Master of Demonstration." He was the indispensable right-hand man to legendary figures like Sir Lawrence Bragg and George Porter. Whether he was repurposing toilet cistern float balls to demonstrate electrostatic repulsion or building intricate X-ray crystallography equipment, Bill had a genius for turning abstract theories into unforgettable spectacles.
A Rare Moment in the Spotlight
On 9th November 1984, Bill Coates, the man who had spent 36 years building, rigging, and running the Royal Institution's most famous experiments, finally stepped out from behind the apparatus and into the spotlight. His Friday Evening Discourse, "1948–1984: My Years Between," was the only time in his career that he was the lecturer.
Until now, this lecture has never been publicly available. Today, we're uploading it online for the first time.
In a touching tribute to his career, Bill took to the theatre as the lead speaker for his own Discourse. In a delightful twist, the Nobel Prize-winning Director George Porter acted as his assistant—a role Porter reportedly performed with slightly less "deftness" than Bill had shown for decades!
Celebrating #Discover200
Publishing "1948-1984: My Years Between" is more than just an archival update; it is a celebration of the technical brilliance that makes science communication possible. In this Discourse, Bill shares his favourite demonstrations and reflects on four decades of scientific history from a unique perspective.
As our year celebrating the bicentennial of the Discourses and CHRISTMAS LECTURES series comes to an end, we invite you to watch this landmark recording.
Join us in honouring the man who proved that science isn't just about what you know—it's about how you show it.