The Royal Institution Courses

The Languages of Animals: Finding a Mate - Lecture 2

Explore animal mating communication with Sir David Attenborough. Discover diverse courtship signals, from visual cues to scents, and learn how species-specific 'passwords' ensure successful breeding.

• YouTube
• 1 hour
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Languages of Animals: Beware! - Lecture 1

Explore animal defense mechanisms, from warning signals to territorial marking, in this captivating lecture by Sir David Attenborough. Discover how creatures communicate danger and assert dominance without physical confrontation.

• YouTube
• 59 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Everyday Science of Gas

Explore the fascinating world of gases through historical discoveries, modern applications, and scientific experiments, from their role in fizzy drinks to their impact on climate and neural function.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 3 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Catastrophe Theory and Psychology - 1978 Christmas Lectures 6/6

Explore how gradually changing variables produce sudden effects through catastrophe theory, from mathematical models to applications in physics and psychology including mood changes.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 2 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Waves and Music - Mathematics of Sound and Harmony - Lecture 5

Explore the mathematical foundations of sound, music, and harmony through wave theory and the revolutionary harmonic theorem that explains how any wave motion is the sum of simple harmonics.

• YouTube
• 57 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Games and Evolution - 1978 Christmas Lectures 4/6

Explore game theory applications in modeling complex systems like financial markets and population dynamics through mathematical demonstrations and evolutionary examples.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 4 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Infinity and Perspective - Lecture 3

Explore infinity through Zeno's paradox, Renaissance art perspective, and infinite sets in this classic 1978 mathematical demonstration by Christopher Zeeman at the Royal Institution.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 2 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Numbers and Geometry - 1978 Christmas Lectures 2/6

Explore the historical development of numbers from rational to complex through Christopher Zeeman's classic 1978 Christmas Lecture with demonstrations and proofs.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 1 minute
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Linking and Knotting - 1978 Christmas Lectures 1/6

Explore topology through linking and knotting in this classic 1978 mathematics lecture, covering mathematical proofs, Möbius strips, and DNA structure applications.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 2 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Survival Under the Sun - Harnessing Solar Energy for Sustainable Power - Lecture 6

Explore how sunlight powers sustainable energy through silicon solar panels and discover methods for harnessing solar power to replace fossil fuels in this Nobel laureate's demonstration.

• YouTube
• 1 hour
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Thermodynamics and Energy - Making Light Work - Lecture 5

Explore thermodynamics through Nobel laureate Sir George Porter's demonstrations of heat pumps, solar energy, and renewable power sources in this historic 1976 Royal Institution lecture.

• YouTube
• 1 hour
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Candles from the Sun - Man-Made Light and Fuel Sources - Lecture 4

Explore man-made light and fuel sources through Nobel laureate George Porter's historic demonstrations, examining artificial lighting evolution and natural fuel formation.

• YouTube
• 59 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

A Leaf from Nature - How Leaves Process Light for Food - Lecture 3

Discover how leaves harness sunlight to create food through photosynthesis, featuring plant experiments, energy demonstrations, and insights into nature's remarkable light-processing mechanisms.

• YouTube
• 1 hour
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Light and Life - The Sun's Role in Creating New Life - Lecture 2

Explore how sunlight creates life through Nobel laureate Sir George Porter's demonstrations on spontaneous generation theories, Pasteur's experiments, and molecular formation from sunshine.

• YouTube
• 57 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

First Light - The Structure of Light - Lecture 1

Discover how light is structured through Nobel Prize winner Sir George Porter's demonstrations, exploring why skies are blue, sunsets red, and light's frequency and wave properties.

• YouTube
• 59 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video