Mechanical engineer and broadcaster Shini Somara joins us this month to uncover some of the fascinating and often under-appreciated innovations in the world of engineering, ahead of her double bill of talks at the Ri on Saturday 1 November.
Shini discusses how computational fluid dynamics (CFD) transformed our understanding and management of Covid-19, and how the field has changed dramatically with the computing advancements and introduction of AI in recent years.
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Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Produced and presented by Lia Hale
Music by Joseph Sandy
In this month's From the Theatre episode, we revisit past Christmas Lecturer Hannah Fry's talk on the power of algorithms to continue celebrating our Discover200 campaign.
Hannah Fry takes us on a tour of the good, the bad and the downright ugly of the algorithms that surround us. She lifts the lid on their inner workings, to demonstrate their power, expose their limitations, and examine whether they really are an improvement on the humans they are replacing.
This talk was filmed at the Ri on 30 November 2018.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Browse upcoming talks and livestreams on our website
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Sickle cell disorder is an inherited blood disorder that affects the shape of red blood cells, and can have an extreme impact on all different areas of the body. September marks Sickle Cell Awareness Month, so we wanted to draw attention to the science underlying this often-misunderstood disease. We are joined by researcher Sara El Hoss and sickle cell patient and advocate Stephanie George to discuss everything from the diagnostic journey to the fascinating research investigating future treatment methods.
Trigger warning: This episode includes discussion of depression and self-harm. If you are struggling with things of this nature, we have linked some resources below to help you find the right support for you.
Mental health resources:
https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/
Sickle Cell resources:
https://www.sicklecellsociety.org/
https://www.instagram.com/redcellsrus/
https://www.instagram.com/steph_has_sicklecell_/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sickle-cell-disease/
Producer: Lia Hale
Assistant producer: Poppy Aves
Music: Joseph Sandy
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Browse upcoming talks and livestreams on our website
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
We're bringing you even more Spotify content, by sharing one of our world-famous lectures on every second Wednesday of the month through 'From the Theatre' episodes. Don't worry, Ri Science Podcast episodes are still coming every last Wednesday, but these will help to tide you over in the meantime.
How does the body affect our brain, and vice versa? Can exercise, psychedelics, or the gut biome improve your mental health? Find out with neuroscientist Camilla Nord.
This talk was recorded at the Ri on 4 March 2024.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. From the Theatre episodes are released on the second Wednesday of every month.
Browse upcoming talks and livestreams on our website
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Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok
Everywhere you look across the scientific landscape, AI and big data play a vital role. But is that role good or bad? This year’s Nine Dots Prize question looked to tackle just that, and award-winning science journalist and neuroscientist Grace Huckins’ entry was deemed the most innovative.
Grace joins us this month to discuss how AI could be changing the way science operates, and how data has transformed the field of neuroscience specifically.
Read an extract from Grace’s winning essay: https://ninedotsprize.org/extract-from-grace-huckins-winning-entry/
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Producer and presenter: Lia Hale
Assistant producer: Poppy Aves
Music: Joseph Sandy
Browse upcoming talks and livestreams on our website
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
How similar is your microbiome to your dog’s? How do volcanoes influence the microbiome of the earth? And what links the microbiome to epilepsy?
It’s not just the gut that has a microbiome – everything from your phone screen to the soles of your shoes has a community of microorganisms residing together that forms a microbiome. But the microbiome in the gut specifically has a huge impact on our bodily functioning, and we can learn a lot about our own gut microbiome by looking at those of domesticated animals like dogs.
This month, we’re joined by Bushra Schuitemaker, a microbiologist and head of science and research at Biome9, to understand what we can learn from the microbiomes around us.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Producer/presenter: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help other people discover the podcast.
Learn more about Biome9 and Dogileptic
Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams on our website
The Women's Euros kick off next Wednesday, once again bringing attention to the epidemic of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in women’s football. But why is it that women are six times more likely to suffer from these injuries, and what research is being done to understand it further?
This month we’re looking at the science behind the ACL, and what factors researchers are investigating that influence injury susceptibility. We’re joined by Blake Rivers, who’s PhD at Kingston University is being funded by FIFA to investigate the impact of the menstrual cycle on ACL injuries, and Grace Vella, a footballer and entrepreneur who is 5 months into her ACL rehabilitation following on from reconstructive surgery.
Producer: Lia Hale
Assistant producer: Jessica Hibbert
Music: Joseph Sandy
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help other people discover the podcast.
Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: https://www.rigb.org/whats-on
When we think of the biggest historical figures in science, names like Isaac Newton and Michael Faraday tend to come to mind. But the discoveries made by these individuals could never have happened without the contributions of countless others around the world, whose names and stories are often left out of the picture.
Former Royal Institution Freer Fellow Gianamar Giovannetti-Singh spoke at the Ri to shed light on some of these untold stories, and to help us adopt a more global understanding of the history of science.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
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This talk was recorded in the Theatre at the Royal Institution on Monday 14 May 2024
Producer: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
How do microbes including bacteria become resistant to treatment? What can we do to prevent it? And why do we have tuberculosis to thank for the creation of cowboy hats? This month, PhD student and award-winning science communicator Gabriel Astorga joins us to answer all these questions and more, as we look under the hood of antimicrobial resistance.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help other people discover the podcast.
Read more about the UKHSA campaign here
Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: https://www.rigb.org/whats-on
Producer: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
John Tyndall first announced his discovery of greenhouse gases in a Royal Institution Discourse back in 1862. Since then, our understanding of the science of climate change has come on leaps and bounds in some areas, but in others we are only just scratching the surface.
This month, we hear from neuroscientist-turned-journalist Clayton Aldern and Professor of Neurology Sanjay Sisodiya about how climate change affects our brains. From memories passed through generations to the impact of heat on neurological disorders such as epilepsy, we dive deeper into the neuroscience underlying climate change.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Producer: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
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Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: https://www.rigb.org/whats-on
Sir David Spiegelhalter is a national treasure in the world of statistics, achieving everything from a knighthood to appearing on Total Wipeout.
In light of giving the first Discourse in their bicentennial year, David explores how risk and uncertainty have affected his own life, and how to understand the statistics we see every day.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help other people discover the podcast.
Explore our upcoming programme or watch our YouTube channel for more science.
Producer: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
2025 marks the 200 year anniversary of the CHRISTMAS LECTURES from the Royal Institution, as well as Discourses and Michael Faraday’s discovery of Benzene. We’re celebrating throughout the year to mark the occasion, kicking off with a conversation between two previous Christmas Lecturers Chris van Tulleken and Monica Grady. They discuss their experiences giving the lectures, the importance of science communication to young people, and their advice for their successors.
Find out more about the Discover200 campaign: https://www.rigb.org/discover200-ri
This episode was recorded remotely on Monday 16 December 2024.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help other people discover the podcast.
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution
X: https://twitter.com/Ri_Science
Interviewer: Lia Hale
Producer: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
2024 has been a remarkable year for science, so we're taking a look back over the past year at our most memorable moments here on the Ri Science Podcast. From eggs to AI, sustainable plastics to protein folding, we've discussed a fascinating range of topics with even more fascinating guests including Jess Wade and Charan Ranganath.
We can't wait to see what's in store in science for 2025, and thank you for listening and learning with us in 2024.
With the exception of this episode, Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month.
Presenter: Katie Mortimer
Producer: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
Browse our upcoming talks and livestreams: https://www.rigb.org/whats-on
Watch previous talks: https://www.youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution
Follow us on social media @Ri_Science
2025 is the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, as marked by the UN, to celebrate 100 years since the birth of quantum mechanics. But quantum science is one of the least diverse areas of science in terms of gender and other protected characteristics.
Jess Wade, a physicist and lecturer in functional materials at Imperial College London, has been fighting the inequality in quantum physics and beyond by creating thousands of Wikipedia pages for women scientists. Jess joins us this month to discuss the past, present, and future of quantum science along with what can be done to increase diversity within the field.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help other people discover the podcast.
Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: https://www.rigb.org/whats-on
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution
X: https://twitter.com/Ri_Science
Producer: Lia Hale
Assistant producers: Katie Mortimer, Isla Nakano
Interviewer: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
Halloween means lots of sweets, which in turn means lots of packaging. We’re starting to see more of the packaging on our shelves labelled as sustainable in some way, but are they really? Mike Shaver is a Professor of Polymer Science and Director of the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub at the University of Manchester, and joins us this month to unpick the current landscape of sustainable materials, and discuss whether or not a fully recyclable plastic is possible.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help other people discover the podcast.
Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: https://www.rigb.org/whats-on
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution X: https://twitter.com/Ri_Science
Producer: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
What makes a planet habitable? What are we looking for to find Earth 2.0? And how do you get a chunk of an asteroid through airport security? This month, astrophysicist Elizabeth Tasker discusses the latest missions at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and explores how our knowledge has progressed since she last spoke at the Ri back in 2018.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help other people discover the podcast.
Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: https://www.rigb.org/whats-on
Producer: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
Today marks the beginning of the Paralympic Games, and nearly 3 weeks since the end of the Olympic Games in Paris. But what actually happens to your brain when you exercise? What’s the science behind ‘runner’s high’? And why isn’t there enough research on women in sport? This month, we’re joined by exercise neuroscientist Flaminia Ronca, from UCL and the Institute of Sport Exercise and Health. She shares with us which chemical and physiological systems are involved when we exercise, and how regular exercise can decrease our chances of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help other people discover the podcast.
Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: https://www.rigb.org/whats-on
Producer: Lia Hale
Assistant producer: Isla Nakano
Interviewer: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
Why is there less medical research on women? How did humanity reach 8 billion despite the dangers of childbirth? In this episode, Cat Bohannon explores these questions and reveals insights from her book, Eve: How Women Drove 200 Million Years of Evolution, to highlight women’s pivotal role in our species’ history. This talk was recorded at the Royal Institution on 8 June 2024.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
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Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: https://www.rigb.org/whats-on
Producer: Eloise Ross
Executive producer: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
To celebrate National Cheese Day earlier this month, we sat down with biochemist and cheese expert Bronwen Percival to look under the barrel at the science of one of the nation’s favourite foods. From the basics of cheese production to the biochemistry underlying its notorious smell, and even some cheese tastings, this episode guarantees to open your eyes to the captivating world of cheese.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help other people discover the podcast.
Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: https://www.rigb.org/whats-on
Producer: Freddie Rodgers
Interviewer: Isla Nakano
Music: Joseph Sandy
What came first, the chicken, the egg, or...the jellyfish? Zoologist and author Jules Howard joins us this month to explore evolution through a new lens - the egg. Eggs play a fundamental role in the reproduction and development of most species, yet they have been relatively overlooked in the narrative of evolution and the progression of life on Earth.
Jules takes us on a journey back through the history of eggs, their surprisingly fundamental role in everything from the extinction of dinosaurs to the evolution of the human brain.
Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!
Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help more people discover the podcast.
Producer: Lia Hale
Interviewer: Lia Hale
Music: Joseph Sandy
