Discourses

SELLING FAST Discourse: Thinking slowly about uncertainty

Renowned statistician Sir David Spiegelhalter explores how we can better deal with risk, uncertainty, luck, chance and ignorance. 

DaveJonesphotography via Pixabay

Life is uncertain. We are all the result of an unforeseen and unforeseeable sequence of small occurrences. But what underlies this fragile chain of events? Is it random or just complex? And what role does luck play in our lives?

Uncertainty is a relationship between the observer and an object in the outside world. In the first Discourse of 2025, kickstarting the Discover 200 celebrations, renowned statistician Sir David Spiegelhalter explains how we can express this numerically and then update our beliefs about the future in the face of constantly changing experience. Exploring the principles of probability, a field that informs annuities, pandemics and climate change, he will examine the limitations of statistical modelling and ask when we need to have the humility to admit our ignorance.

David has spent his career dissecting data in order to help understand uncertainty and assess the chances of what might happen. In this talk, he draws on a wide range of examples to give us a window onto how we can all do this better.

Copies of David's book "The Art of Uncertainty: How to Navigate Chance, Ignorance, Risk and Luck" will be available to purchase after the talk.

Event type

This is a theatre and livestream event for an adult audience, where the speakers and audience in our Theatre are joined by our audience online. 

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.

About Sir David Spiegelhalter

David Spiegelhalter

Sir David Spiegelhalter FRS OBE is Emeritus Professor of Statistics at the University of Cambridge. He was knighted in 2014 for services to medical statistics, was President of the Royal Statistical Society (2017-2018) and became a Non-Executive Director of the UK Statistics Authority in 2020. His bestselling book The Art of Statistics has been published in eleven languages.

Timing

Doors to the Theatre will open at about 6.50pm.

All attendees must be seated in the Theatre by 7.20pm. The Discourse will start promptly at 7.30pm.

A Pay Bar will be available from 6.00pm. It will open again after the talk, until 9.30pm.

 

Timing for the livestream

The livestream will go live at 7.25pm, and the introduction will begin at 7.30pm. If you register but miss the livestream, the video will be available to you via the same link for two weeks after the event date.

More about Discourses

Discourses are one of the Ri’s oldest and most prestigious series of talks. Since 1825, audiences in the theatre have witnessed countless mind-expanding moments, including the first public liquefaction of air by James Dewar, the announcement of the electron by JJ Thomson and over 100 lectures by Michael Faraday. In more recent times, we have had Nobel laureates, Fields medal winners, scientists, authors and artists – all from the leading-edge of their field. Discourses are an opportunity for the best and brightest to share their work with the world.

Steeped in two centuries of tradition, a Discourse is more than just a lecture. To keep the focus on the topic, presenters begin sharply at 7:30pm without introduction and we lock the speaker into a room ten minutes ahead of the start (legend has it that a speaker once tried to escape!). Some of our guests dress smartly for our Discourse events to add to this sense of occasion.

Find out more about the history of the Friday Evening Discourses on our blog.

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. 

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.

Event terms and conditions