Talks and shows

Amazing animals

Are you smarter than a chimp? A crow? How about a slime mould? Find out in this interactive theatre show!

Image credit: Ginny Smith

Throughout the animal kingdom, creatures great and small have developed amazing abilities. In this interactive show from Braintastic! Science, you will be challenged to complete tasks that have been used in real life to test the intelligence of a range of animals. They will need to use their creativity to solve tricky logic puzzles normally completed by chimps, parrots and even dolphins.

By exploring the range of abilities held by our nearest cousins, and those much farther from us on the evolutionary tree, we will throw light on the difficulties of defining intelligence. We will explore what that means for us as humans, and the importance of neurodiversity. The audience will leave with a new-found respect for the wonder of life on earth, and an understanding of the importance of diversities of thinking styles for society.

This event is particularly suitable for ages 7+. As with all our family theatre talks, this event is designed to be enjoyed by adults and children together. All young people under the age of 13 need to be accompanied by a paying adult and those aged 4 and above need a ticket to attend.

 

Event type

This is a theatre only event where the speakers and audience are together in our Theatre.

By booking to attend events at the Royal Institution, you confirm that you have read and accept the Ri's event terms and conditions. You also agree to abide by our code of conduct, and help to create a great experience for yourself and your fellow participants. Please note that Eventbrite adds a small booking fee to the amount paid for each ticket option.

For any queries regarding this event please get in touch by phone 020 7409 2992 or email events@ri.ac.uk.

Timing

The doors will open at approximately 1.30pm, with a prompt start at 2.00pm.

Latecomers will be admitted into the gallery.

About Ginny Smith

Ginny smiles and talks to an audience
Ginny Smith

Ginny’s science story started early, inspired by school trips to science museums and kitchen-table experiments at home. Studying at the University of Cambridge opened her eyes to the amazing complexity of the human brain, and she soon discovered that she had a talent for making the complex comprehensible, which took her down a path towards becoming a science writer and presenter.

Always happiest on stage, Ginny has spent over 10 years presenting at the UK's biggest science festivals and international venues like Frost Science, Miami and the Rand Show, Johannesburg. She loves performing and engaging young people with neuroscience, but her favourite part of any school science show is Q&A – tackling kids' unanswered science questions. She believes that encouraging children to question fosters their curiosity and a lifelong love of science. This led her to found Braintastic! Science, to help her bring the surprising science of our amazing brains to audiences around the world.

Ginny also shares her passion for neuroscience with grown-ups. Her book, ‘Overloaded’, about brain chemistry was a New Scientist Book of the Year 2021. She also co-wrote the bestselling 'How the Brain Works' for DK publishing and is a regular blogger and video presenter for the Cosmic Shambles Network. She is a science storyteller at heart and loves helping scientists and organisations grab their audience's attention and keep it, as a science communication trainer and consultant. For more on Ginny’s other work, please visit ginnysmithscience.com

Covid guidelines

Face masks are no longer mandatory and wearing one in our Theatre and at other Ri events is at your discretion, however please do not attend the Ri if you are displaying Covid symptoms or, if you have tested, the result remains positive. Thank you for respecting other people and their choices, and for helping us keep all of our visitors and staff safe and well.

Accessibility

The event will take place on the first floor and there is step-free access from the street via lift.

The closest underground station is Green Park, which is step-free.

There is space at floor level in the theatre for wheelchair users.

Seating is usually unreserved for our events. If you and your group require seating reservations, please do let us know by emailing us at events@ri.ac.uk, and we’ll be more than happy to help.

Carers can receive a free ticket to an event by emailing events@ri.ac.uk.

Our theatre is equipped with an Audio Induction Loop. 

Event terms and conditions