The PLATO mission: Discovering other planets fit for life - with Ana Heras and Alistair Winton
The PLATO mission from the European Space Agency is set to launch next year, and is hoping to identify thousands of exoplanets in our galaxy...
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Science & Medicine
Ri Science Podcast
Thought provoking lectures from the world's sharpest minds. Science talks from the Royal Institution every month.
Episodes
20 of 123 episodes
From the Theatre: How AI is redesigning the battery - with the Faraday Institution
For this month's From the Theatre episode, we explore how AI could actually be a force for good in the world of batteries. In collaboration...
The science of heatwaves, health, and wildfires: Why was the summer of 2026 so hot? - with Clair Barnes, Gary Konstantinoudis and Alisha Fuller-Armah
Why have so many people died during the heatwaves spread across Europe this summer, and is it a direct result of climate change? And what te...
From the Theatre: What is a solar eclipse? - with Frank Close
What is a solar eclipse? How is it safe to watch? And what other types of eclipses are there? This month, we revisit Frank Close's talk from...
Quantum field theory, AI, and the future of theoretical physics - with Ross Jenkinson
Quantum physics has gone through two major revolutions over the past century, which has transformed how we understand and practise theoretic...
From the Theatre: How biomechanics is optimising human movement - with Eline van der Kruk
Eline van der Kruk takes us on a journey to the world of biomechanics, a place where computer simulations and smart sensors are being develo...
Cell signalling, heart disease, and the hidden physics of light - with Izzy Jayasinghe and Alfredo Carpineti
This pride month, we hear from two exceptional queer scientists about their research and journeys in STEM. Izzy Jayasinghe is the Head of Mo...
From the Theatre: The past, present, and future of space exploration - with Anu Ojha
This month we're bringing you an exploration of space science From the Theatre. In his talk back in 2024, Anu Ojha OBE from the UK Space Age...
Unveiling the ghost particle: Neutrinos and their impact on particle physics - with Kirsty Duffy
Neutrinos are the most important particle you were never taught about. They are created in radioactive decays in the sun, the centre of the...
From the Lab: Treating cancer with light through photodynamic therapy - with Stephen Bown
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is offering a revolutionary new treatment option for a range of diseases, particularly cancers. By combining the...
How does epigenetics impact the placenta? - with Jennifer Frost
How are segments of DNA preserved from ancient viruses impacting the functioning of the placenta? And how does this lead to pregnancy compli...
From the Lab: Nanoparticles and their applications - with Ivan Parkin
From thin film coatings to drug delivery and even antimicrobial resistance, nanoparticles have a huge range of applications. In this month's...
The science of consciousness: Could a conscious AI exist? - with Anil Seth
The science of consciousness is a complex and constantly evolving field of research. Neuroscientists are still understanding how it originat...
From the Lab: The future of sound wave engineering - with Sriram Subramanian
In this month's From the Lab episode, we discover the power of sound waves and how they can manipulate small objects with engineer Sriram Su...
What can ancient DNA reveal about the past? - with Pooja Swali
How can ancient DNA help us understand how diseases spread? This month, geneticist and pathogen genomics expert Pooja Swali explains how sam...
From the Lab: Investigating exoplanets - with Jonathan Tennyson
Planets outside of our solar system can unlock an abundance of secrets about our Universe. But how do we study them? Astrophysicist Jonathan...
The role of inflammation in Alzheimer's Disease - with Tomi Akingbade
Alzheimer’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the excessive build-up of proteins in the brain. Neuroscientist Tomi Akingbade...
From the Lab: How mathematics is powering medical innovation – with Becky Shipley
Medical research is continuously evolving with new technologies, but another key player in spurring this evolution is mathematics. Mathemati...
Best of 2025: Science wrapped
From the scientific mechanisms underlying ACL injuries, the application of computational fluid dynamics in the COVID-19 pandemic, and even t...
From the Space Park: What will BepiColombo teach us about Mercury? - with Suzie Imber
We’re bringing you this month’s From the Theatre episode from the Space Park in Leicester, joined by Professor of Space Physics Suzie Imber...