Ri Science Podcast
153 episodes - English - Latest episode: 20 days ago - ★★★★★ - 21 ratingsThought provoking lectures from the world's sharpest minds. Science talks from the Royal Institution every month.
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Episodes
Ri on AI: The healthcare revolution – with Dr James Kinross
March 27, 2024 17:30 - 41 minutes - 37.8 MBIn the second episode of this miniseries, we’re exploring how AI is impacting different areas of scientific research, and in this episode we discuss the applications of AI in healthcare. Lisa Derry is joined by Dr James Kinross, a colorectal surgeon and medical researcher at Imperial College London, to discuss everything from the impact of AI on medical publishing to robotic surgery.Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe wherever you get your...
Geometry in Everyday Life - with the London Institute of Mathematical Sciences (LIMS)
February 28, 2024 14:19 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MBFollowing on from his Discourse, Yang-Hui He is joined by LIMS science writer Madeleine Hall to discuss the past, present and future of Geometry. From Euclid’s postulates to how flower petals are arranged, explore how our modern understanding of geometry has come to be. LIMS is based here at the Ri, and you can find out more about their research by following the link below. New Ri Science Podcast episodes will be released on the last Wednesday of every month, so make sure to tune in fo...
Ri on AI: Understanding AlphaFold with Dame Janet Thornton
December 13, 2023 17:29 - 43 minutes - 39.8 MBWe’re exploring how AI is impacting different areas of scientific research, and in this episode we discuss AlphaFold, the machine learning programme from DeepMind that can determine a protein structure from its amino acids alone. Lisa Derry is joined by Dame Janet Thornton, an oracle of bioinformatics and former Director of the European Bioinformatics Institute, to discuss how AlphaFold has revolutionised its field, and what it could do in the future. Thank you to our Christmas Lectures sup...
Tales from my PhD: Algorithms for energy efficiency – with Karan Mukhi
August 24, 2023 05:00 - 16 minutes - 15 MBHow can we improve the use of renewable energy in the power grid? In the final episode of the series 'Tales from my PhD', Charlotte Collingwood talks to Karan Mukhi about his work in computer science, creating algorithms to improve the efficiency of the national grid. Follow Charlotte on Twitter: @NeuroCharlotte Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think. Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: rigb.org/whats-on Watch videos on YouTube: youtube....
Tales from my PhD: Fighting rice blast fungus – with Camilla Molinari
August 20, 2023 17:03 - 11 minutes - 20.9 MBHow do you fight a fungus? In this episode of ‘Tales from my PhD’, Charlotte Collingwood talks to Camilla Molinari about her work in plant pathology, studying the mechanisms and genetics of the rice blast fungus in order to limit its impact on food crops. Follow Camilla on Twitter: @CamilaMolinari3 Follow Charlotte on Twitter: @NeuroCharlotte Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think. Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: rigb.org/whats-o...
Tales from my PhD: Researching anxiety and depression through computational models – with Sophie Shang
August 10, 2023 14:01 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBHow can maths and computational models help us treat anxiety and depression? In this episode of 'Tales from my PhD', Charlotte Collingwood talks to Sophie Shang about her research in the field of computational psychiatry. A hallmark symptom of anxiety and depression is an intolerance of uncertainty. Sophie's work involves designing studies to test people's response to changes in their environment, analysing the data mathematically and then coding computational models in order to reveal patte...
Tales from my PhD: Saving manta rays – with Jessica Savage
August 02, 2023 05:30 - 13 minutes - 24.6 MBThere are an estimated 5 trillion plastic particles in the oceans, spelling trouble for marine ecosystems. Manta rays are one group of species at risk – how can we protect these animals? In this episode of 'Tales from my PhD', Charlotte Collingwood talks to Jessica Savage about her work analysing the species distribution of manta rays and global plastic pollution maps to aid marine science and conservation. Follow Jessica on Twitter: @Jessicasavage29 Follow Charlotte on Twitter: @NeuroChar...
How to hear gravitational waves – with Tessa Baker
July 31, 2023 22:21 - 48 minutes - 44.6 MBHow can we detect massive objects in space when we can't see them by light? On 14 September 2015, scientists opened a new window to observing the Universe when, for the first time, they directly detected gravitational waves, rippled out through spacetime from the merger of two black holes. In this episode, astronomer Tessa Baker explores how Einstein’s theory of gravity predicted the existence of gravitational waves, how delicate experiments eventually confirmed their existence, and how w...
Tales from my PhD: What is galaxy evolution? – with Rohan Varadaraj
July 26, 2023 10:00 - 16 minutes - 29.6 MBAstrophysicists grapple with the Universe's big questions, but what does their day-to-day research actually entail? In the first of our new mini-series, 'Tales from my PhD', Charlotte Collingwood sits down with Rohan Varadaraj to discuss his work discovering new galaxies billions of light years away. Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think. Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: rigb.org/whats-on Watch videos on YouTube: youtube.com/TheR...
How did patriarchy develop across the world? – with Angela Saini and Julia Gillard
June 13, 2023 10:15 - 1 hour - 74.3 MBHow did societies develop across the globe and how did gender become so enmeshed in them? In this episode we join award-winning science journalist, Angela Saini, in conversation with former Australian prime-minister, Julia Gillard, as they go in search of the roots of gendered oppression. By looking at cultures throughout human history and in the modern day, they overturn simplistic universal theories to show that what patriarchy is and how far back it goes really depends on where you live. ...
Can science explain emotions? – with Dean Burnett
April 30, 2023 17:01 - 1 hour - 67.7 MBDid you know that there is no widely agreed upon definition of what emotions actually are? After losing his dad to Covid-19 in the early days of the pandemic lockdown, neuroscientist Dean Burnett found himself wondering what life would be like without emotions. In today’s episode, Dean combines his personal story with expert analysis, humour and powerful insights into the grieving process, to uncover how emotions make us who we are. Get Dean's book: 'Emotional Ignorance: Lost and Found in t...
Tackling climate change with innovation – with Alyssa Gilbert and Katherine Mathieson
April 22, 2023 11:44 - 26 minutes - 37 MBHow could we use shower wastewater to clean our clothes? To celebrate Earth Day and its specific focus on investing in the planet, we wanted to introduce you to ‘Undaunted’ - our partnership with Imperial College London that supports climate-positive startups tackling the climate crisis head on. We hear from Alyssa Gilbert, Director of Undaunted, and Katherine Mathieson, Director of the Ri, about the exciting work Undaunted is doing, alongside a sneak peek into some of the innovations. Plea...
Existential physics: Exploring life's big questions – with Sabine Hossenfelder
March 31, 2023 21:21 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBAre particles conscious? Can information be destroyed? Do we live in a computer simulation? Are we part of a multiverse? In this episode, theoretical physicist Sabine Hossenfelder draws on research in quantum mechanics, black holes and particle physics to explore what modern physics can tell us about life's big, existential questions. Watch the video version of this episode: youtu.be/fl9oDJzfg58 Sabine's book "Existential Physics: A Scientists Guide to Life's Biggest Questions", is availa...
Bad statistics: How not to be misled – with Jennifer Rogers
February 28, 2023 14:52 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBYou might have heard that vending machines are more likely to kill you than a shark, but they aren’t the only deadly object out there. You’re also more likely to be killed by falling coconuts, lightning strikes, bathtubs and your own bed. Swimming in shark-infested waters might actually be safer than hiding in your own house. In this episode, statistician Jennifer Rogers delves into the numbers to show you how statistics can help you to make better decisions about risky activities. Follow ...
How Peter Higgs proposed the Higgs boson – with Frank Close
January 31, 2023 23:00 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBOn 4 July 2012, one of the longest-running mysteries in physics was finally clarified. The ATLAS and CMS collaborations at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider announced that they had produced and observed the elusive Higgs boson. This unstable elementary particle was theorised back in 1964 by 6 scientists – one of them was the particle’s namesake, Peter Higgs. In this episode, physicist and former Ri Christmas Lecturer, Frank Close, explores the life of Peter Higgs, a Nobel prize-winning scientist...
How to handle heart disease – with Samer Nashef
December 23, 2022 09:31 - 50 minutes - 46.5 MBDo Diet Coke and salt cause heart disease? How do you transport a heart to be transplanted? How can you learn to live with angina? In this month's talk, we hear from world-renowned cardiac surgeon Samer Nashef. Samer discusses his book, ‘The Angina Monologues: Stories of Surgery for Broken Hearts’, with journalist Sathnam Sanghera. Together they explore a collection of Samer’s stories that are sure to get your heart racing – from driving a donor heart up the motorway to Samer's personal exp...
CHRISTMAS LECTURES special: Inside forensic science – with Dame Sue Black & Katherine Mathieson
December 16, 2022 13:51 - 28 minutes - 26.3 MBIn this Christmas-special we go behind-the-scenes of our 2022 CHRISTMAS LECTURES, presented by Professor Dame Sue Black. Katherine Mathieson, Director of the Ri, managed to steal Sue away from rehearsals for a quick chat about her CHRISTMAS LECTURES memories, science communication and what we can expect to learn about forensic science. The CHRISTMAS LECTURES will be broadcast on BBC Four on 26, 27 and 28 December 2022. Find out more about the CHRISTMAS LECTURES: rigb.org/christmas-lectures...
How does proton beam therapy treat cancer? – with Simon Jolly
November 21, 2022 09:00 - 1 hour - 63 MBAn advanced form of radiotherapy, proton beam therapy enables tumours to be targeted with greater precision, reducing the collateral damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Physicist Simon Jolly sheds light on this leading-edge technique and the technology needed to deliver it. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution on 12 October 2018. Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8YnQkUWTS64 Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what...
How did females evolve? – with Lucy Cooke
July 05, 2022 14:42 - 1 hour - 72.5 MBDid you know that zoologists have only found 5 species of mammals that go through the menopause? That's 4 species of toothed whale, plus us humans. The animal kingdom reveals a lot about female evolution and this month, Lucy Cooke explores evolutionary biology through an array of animal examples and research stemming from Darwin's time. Get Lucy Cooke's book 'Bitch: A Revolutionary Guide to Sex, Evolution and the Female Animal': www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/111196…80857524133.html This talk...
Is the multiverse possible? – with Sean M Carroll
May 31, 2022 15:58 - 1 hour - 78.4 MBIf you're a fan of multiverse movies, this episode is for you. The many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics says that an infinite number of universes exist in parallel to eachother, each having branched off in a moment of divergence before following its own unique timeline. Theoretical physicist Sean M Carroll guides us through the strange and sometimes daunting topic of quantum mechanics – from Einstein and Bohr to Schrödinger's cat and the many-worlds interpretation. This talk was...
How we got to the climate crisis – with Alice Bell
April 30, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 79.2 MBOur exploration of the Earth’s fluctuating environment is an extraordinary story of human perception and scientific endeavour, which began much earlier than you might think. This month we hear from Alice Bell as she explores climate change science’s earliest steps in the 18th and 19th centuries, through the point when concern started to rise in the 1950s, right up to the modern day. You can learn more in Alice’s latest book 'Our Biggest Experiment: A History of the Climate Crisis’. This ta...
How to Design a Rollercoaster – with Brendan Walker
March 28, 2022 20:35 - 1 hour - 63.8 MBDo you consider yourself a ‘thrill-seeker’? If so, you may have a variation in the DRD4 dopamine receptor gene which makes you less able to process dopamine, a neurotransmitter that's responsible for how we feel pleasure. This month we hear from thrill-engineer Brendan Walker as he explains how he designs rollercoasters to induce thrill, priming our bodies’ innate responses through sounds, visual cues, virtual reality and much more. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Insti...
How to design a rollercoaster – with Brendan Walker
March 28, 2022 20:35 - 1 hour - 63.8 MBDo you consider yourself a ‘thrill-seeker’? If so, you may have a variation in the DRD4 dopamine receptor gene which makes you less able to process dopamine, a neurotransmitter that's responsible for how we feel pleasure. This month we hear from thrill-engineer Brendan Walker as he explains how he designs rollercoasters to induce thrill, priming our bodies’ innate responses through sounds, visual cues, virtual reality and much more. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Inst...
What is love? – with Laura Mucha & Kate Devlin
February 07, 2022 20:00 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBDoes love at first sight exist? How does your attachment style influence how you love? This month we hear from lawyer-turned-poet and author, Laura Mucha, and artificial intelligence expert, Kate Devlin, about love and relationships. They share real love stories, explore what companies learn about you through online dating and discover what the future holds for sexual companion robots. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution on 14 February 2019. Website: www.rigb.or...
What is Love? – with Laura Mucha & Kate Devlin
February 07, 2022 20:00 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBDoes love at first sight exist? How does your attachment style influence how you love? This month we hear from lawyer-turned-poet and author, Laura Mucha, and artificial intelligence expert, Kate Devlin, about love and relationships. They share real love stories, explore what companies learn about you through online dating and discover what the future holds for sexual companion robots. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution on 14 February 2019. Website: www.rigb.or...
What is Love? – Ri Science Podcast #57
February 07, 2022 20:00 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBDoes love at first sight exist? How does your attachment style influence how you love? This month we hear from lawyer-turned-poet and author, Laura Mucha, and artificial intelligence expert, Kate Devlin, about love and relationships. They share real love stories, explore what companies learn about you through online dating and discover what the future holds for sexual companion robots. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution on 14 February 2019. Website: www.rigb.or...
How to Make a Universe – with Harry Cliff
January 06, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 73.1 MBPhysicist Harry Cliff explains how the Universe is made, drawing on experimental data from the Large Hadron Collider and labs around the world. We hear how the basic building blocks of matter and four fundamental forces of nature make up The Standard Model of particle physics. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution on the 10 August 2021. Watch the video version on YouTube: youtu.be/bzV4O85n2y8 Learn more in Harry Cliff’s book, ‘How to Make an Apple Pie from Scratch...
How to Make a Universe – Ri Science Podcast #56
January 06, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 73.1 MBPhysicist Harry Cliff explains how the Universe is made, drawing on experimental data from the Large Hadron Collider and labs around the world. We hear how the basic building blocks of matter and four fundamental forces of nature make up The Standard Model of particle physics. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution on the 10 August 2021. Watch the video version on YouTube: youtu.be/bzV4O85n2y8 Learn more in Harry Cliff’s book, ‘How to Make an Apple Pie from Scratch...
How to make a universe – with Harry Cliff
January 06, 2022 05:00 - 1 hour - 73.1 MBPhysicist Harry Cliff explains how the Universe is made, drawing on experimental data from the Large Hadron Collider and labs around the world. We hear how the basic building blocks of matter and four fundamental forces of nature make up The Standard Model of particle physics. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution on the 10 August 2021. Watch the video version on YouTube: youtu.be/bzV4O85n2y8 Learn more in Harry Cliff’s book, ‘How to Make an Apple Pie from Scratch...
Using Forensic Anthropology to Solve Crimes – with Sue Black
December 06, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBThis episode is about forensic anthropology. Please be aware that due to the nature of the topic, this talk includes discussions of violence, child sexual abuse, death by suicide and mass-fatality events, which some listeners may find disturbing. This month, we hear from Sue Black, a forensic anthropologist who has led teams across the world to identify the victims and perpetrators of various conflicts and cases. Sue shares examples of her breakthrough work on real-life events, and examines ...
Using forensic anthropology to solve crimes – with Sue Black
December 06, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBThis episode is about forensic anthropology. Please be aware that due to the nature of the topic, this talk includes discussions of violence, child sexual abuse, death by suicide and mass-fatality events, which some listeners may find disturbing. This month, we hear from Sue Black, a forensic anthropologist who has led teams across the world to identify the victims and perpetrators of various conflicts and cases. Sue shares examples of her breakthrough work on real-life events, and examines ...
Using Forensic Anthropology to Solve Crimes – Ri Science Podcast #55
December 06, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBThis episode is about forensic anthropology. Please be aware that due to the nature of the topic, this talk includes discussions of violence, child sexual abuse, death by suicide and mass-fatality events, which some listeners may find disturbing. This month, we hear from Sue Black, a forensic anthropologist who has led teams across the world to identify the victims and perpetrators of various conflicts and cases. Sue shares examples of her breakthrough work on real-life events, and examines ...
Solving crimes with forensic anthropology – with Sue Black
December 06, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBThis episode is about forensic anthropology. Please be aware that due to the nature of the topic, this talk includes discussions of violence, child sexual abuse, death by suicide and mass-fatality events, which some listeners may find disturbing. This month, we hear from Sue Black, a forensic anthropologist who has led teams across the world to identify the victims and perpetrators of various conflicts and cases. Sue shares examples of her breakthrough work on real-life events, and examines ...
Handprints on Hubble – with Kathryn D Sullivan
November 01, 2021 06:44 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBThe Hubble Telescope has revolutionised our understanding of the Universe. It has, among many other achievements, revealed thousands of galaxies in what seemed to be empty patches of sky and measured precisely how fast the universe is expanding. In this talk, the first American woman to walk in space, Kathryn D Sullivan, recounts how the team of astronauts, engineers and flight controllers helped launch, rescue and maintain Hubble, the most productive observatory ever built. Her book, 'Hand...
Handprints on Hubble – with Kathryn D. Sullivan
November 01, 2021 06:44 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBThe Hubble Telescope has revolutionised our understanding of the Universe. It has, among many other achievements, revealed thousands of galaxies in what seemed to be empty patches of sky and measured precisely how fast the universe is expanding. In this talk, the first American woman to walk in space, Kathryn D. Sullivan, recounts how the team of astronauts, engineers and flight controllers helped launch, rescue and maintain Hubble, the most productive observatory ever built. Her book, 'Hand...
Handprints on Hubble – Ri Science Podcast #54
November 01, 2021 06:44 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBThe Hubble Telescope has revolutionised our understanding of the Universe. It has, among many other achievements, revealed thousands of galaxies in what seemed to be empty patches of sky and measured precisely how fast the universe is expanding. In this talk, the first American woman to walk in space, Kathryn D. Sullivan, recounts how the team of astronauts, engineers and flight controllers helped launch, rescue and maintain Hubble, the most productive observatory ever built. Her book, 'Hand...
How advertising works – with Rory Sutherland
October 04, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 88.4 MBHow does advertising influence us? This month, we hear from advertiser and behaviour expert Rory Sutherland, as he uses case studies from the world’s biggest brands to show how advertising makes us act against reason. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution on 10 May 2019. Website: www.rigb.org Twitter: twitter.com/Ri_Science YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalInstitution Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheRoyalInstitution Thumbnail image credit: Franck Michel via Flic...
How Advertising Works – with Rory Sutherland
October 04, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 88.4 MBHow does advertising influence us? This month, we hear from advertiser and behaviour expert Rory Sutherland, as he uses case studies from the world’s biggest brands to show how advertising makes us act against reason. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution on 10 May 2019. Website: www.rigb.org Twitter: twitter.com/Ri_Science YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalInstitution Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheRoyalInstitution Thumbnail image credit: Franck Michel via Flic...
How Advertising Works – Ri Science Podcast #53
October 04, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 88.4 MBHow does advertising influence us? This month, we hear from advertiser and behaviour expert Rory Sutherland, as he uses case studies from the world’s biggest brands to show how advertising makes us act against reason. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution on 10 May 2019. Website: www.rigb.org Twitter: twitter.com/Ri_Science YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalInstitution Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheRoyalInstitution Thumbnail image credit: Franck Michel via Flic...
Medical cannabis - with professor Mike Barnes
September 06, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 76 MBWhat makes up a cannabis medicinal product? How do the active ingredients work in our bodies? What conditions can it treat, and how can doctors prescribe it? We’re joined by neurologist and medical cannabis expert Mike Barnes, and ‘End our Pain’ campaigners, Peter Carroll and Hannah Deacon. Hannah fought to obtain cannabis oil to treat her son Alfie’s epileptic seizures, and the campaign succeeded in changing UK law – as of November 2018, NHS doctors can legally prescribe cannabis. So why ...
Medical cannabis – with Mike Barnes, Hannah Deacon, Peter Carroll and Susie Mesure
September 06, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 76 MBWhat makes up a cannabis medicinal product? How do the active ingredients work in our bodies? What conditions can it treat, and how can doctors prescribe it? We’re joined by neurologist and medical cannabis expert Mike Barnes, and ‘End our Pain’ campaigners, Peter Carroll and Hannah Deacon. Hannah fought to obtain cannabis oil to treat her son Alfie’s epileptic seizures, and the campaign succeeded in changing UK law – as of November 2018, NHS doctors can legally prescribe cannabis. So why is...
Medical Cannabis - with Professor Mike Barnes
September 06, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 76 MBWhat makes up a cannabis medicinal product? How do the active ingredients work in our bodies? What conditions can it treat, and how can doctors prescribe it? We’re joined by neurologist and medical cannabis expert Mike Barnes, and ‘End our Pain’ campaigners, Peter Carroll and Hannah Deacon. Hannah fought to obtain cannabis oil to treat her son Alfie’s epileptic seizures, and the campaign succeeded in changing UK law – as of November 2018, NHS doctors can legally prescribe cannabis. So why ...
Medical Cannabis – Ri Science Podcast #52
September 06, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 76 MBWhat makes up a cannabis medicinal product? How do the active ingredients work in our bodies? What conditions can it treat, and how can doctors prescribe it? We’re joined by neurologist and medical cannabis expert Mike Barnes, and ‘End our Pain’ campaigners, Peter Carroll and Hannah Deacon. Hannah fought to obtain cannabis oil to treat her son Alfie’s epileptic seizures, and the campaign succeeded in changing UK law – as of November 2018, NHS doctors can legally prescribe cannabis. So why ...
Einstein on the run – with Andrew Robinson
August 02, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 151 MBIn autumn 1933, Albert Einstein found himself living alone in an isolated holiday hut in rural England. There, he toiled peacefully at mathematics while occasionally stepping out to chat with the locals and play his violin. But how had Einstein come to abandon his Berlin home and go ‘"on the run"? Andrew Robinson tells the story of how Britain became the a refuge for Einstein from rumoured assassination by Nazi agents. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution, on 29 ...
Einstein on the Run – with Andrew Robinson
August 02, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 151 MBIn autumn 1933, Albert Einstein found himself living alone in an isolated holiday hut in rural England. There, he toiled peacefully at mathematics while occasionally stepping out to chat with the locals and play his violin. But how had Einstein come to abandon his Berlin home and go ‘"on the run"? Andrew Robinson tells the story of how Britain became the a refuge for Einstein from rumoured assassination by Nazi agents. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution, on 29 ...
Einstein on the Run – Ri Science Podcast #51
August 02, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 151 MBIn autumn 1933, Albert Einstein found himself living alone in an isolated holiday hut in rural England. There, he toiled peacefully at mathematics while occasionally stepping out to chat with the locals and play his violin. But how had Einstein come to abandon his Berlin home and go ‘"on the run"? Andrew Robinson tells the story of how Britain became the a refuge for Einstein from rumoured assassination by Nazi agents. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution, on 29 ...
Conspiracy theories – with Miriam Frankel, Türkay Salim Nefes, Aleksandra Cichocka and Harry T Dyer
July 05, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 76.2 MBThis month a panel of psychologists and sociologists discuss why conspiracy theories arise, how they can affect people’s political beliefs, and how we might better communicate with the people who believe in conspiracies. Conspiracy theories have been around for a long time, but in recent years they appear more frequently in public discourse. From increasing attention to anti-vaccine misinformation, to growing communities of conspiracy theorists, like the ‘flat earth’ community, who held thei...
Conspiracy Theories – with Miriam Frankel, Türkay Salim Nefes, Aleksandra Cichocka and Harry T Dyer.
July 05, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 76.2 MBThis month a panel of psychologists and sociologists discuss why conspiracy theories arise, how they can affect people’s political beliefs, and how we might better communicate with the people who believe in conspiracies. Conspiracy theories have been around for a long time, but in recent years they appear more frequently in public discourse. From increasing attention to anti-vaccine misinformation, to growing communities of conspiracy theorists, like the ‘flat earth’ community, who held thei...
Conspiracy Theories – Ri Science Podcast #50
July 05, 2021 05:00 - 1 hour - 76.2 MBThis month a panel of psychologists and sociologists discuss why conspiracy theories arise, how they can affect people’s political beliefs, and how we might better communicate with the people who believe in conspiracies. Conspiracy theories have been around for a long time, but in recent years they appear more frequently in public discourse. From increasing attention to anti-vaccine misinformation, to growing communities of conspiracy theorists, like the ‘flat earth’ community, who held thei...
Can we trust maths? – with Kit Yates
June 07, 2021 05:00 - 54 minutes - 99.2 MBIf you see a newspaper headline with a big, bold statistic, how do you know that you can trust it? How often do false positive and false negative test results occur in medical screenings? And how do you safely bet whether or not 2 people in any room will share a birthday? This month we hear from Kit Yates about the maths of medicine, crime and the media, exploring real-world data from his book, ‘The Maths of Life and Death’. This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution, ...