The Royal Institution Courses

The Hidden World of Animal Consciousness - With David Peña-Guzmán

1 rating

A philosophical and scientific exploration of animal dreams as a window into the consciousness and cognitive lives of nonhuman animals.

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

The Big Picture - From the Big Bang to the Meaning of Life - with Sean Carroll

1 rating

A sweeping lecture connects the laws of physics—from the Big Bang and entropy to consciousness—with questions about life’s meaning.

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

The Science of Behaviour Change

1 rating

An introduction to the science of designing behaviour-change interventions, exploring how decisions, context, and measurement can encourage healthier and more sustainable actions.

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

How to Maximise Your Imagination - With Martin Reeves

Learn a six-step process for harnessing imagination, developing ideas, fostering collective creativity, and sustaining innovation in organisations.

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

How Did Consciousness Evolve? - With Nicholas Humphrey

Explore the evolution of consciousness with psychologist Nicholas Humphrey, examining its origins, presence in animals, and potential future, while delving into the nature of sentience and its implications.

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

How to Photograph a Black Hole - With Ziri Younsi

Explore how the Event Horizon Telescope turned black holes from theoretical objects into images, and what those images reveal about space, time, and the Universe.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 6 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

How Code Has Changed the World - With Torie Bosch

Through stories of pop-up ads, policing algorithms, and legacy software, the talk traces how coding choices leave lasting marks on society.

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

Chemistry of Christmas

Explore festive chemistry with exciting demonstrations on snow, Christmas meals, and crackers. Discover how chemistry could shape future holiday celebrations worldwide.

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

The Volcanic Chemistry of Sulfur

Explore the fascinating 4000-year history of sulfur through exciting chemical demonstrations, from ancient discoveries to modern applications in metallurgy, confectionery, and beyond.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 47 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Future of AI: Dream or Nightmare? - 2023 Christmas Lectures - Lecture 3

Explore AI's future with experts, examining opportunities and challenges as it evolves. Gain insights into potential impacts and developments in this rapidly advancing field.

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

The Truth About AI: My AI Life - 2023 Christmas Lectures - Lecture 2

Professor Mike Wooldridge explores AI's pervasive role in daily life, revealing its current applications and impact. The lecture offers insights into AI's present capabilities and future potential.

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

The Truth About AI: How to Build an Intelligent Machine - Lecture 1

Professor Mike Wooldridge explores the nature of artificial intelligence through experiments and demonstrations, investigating how AI learns and what it can do in this Royal Institution Christmas Lecture.

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

The Science of Sleep - Circadian Rhythms and Health

Experts discuss sleep science, circadian rhythms, and their impact on health. Explore the physiological processes behind sleep and how disruptions affect well-being in this insightful debate.

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

Catching Gravitational Waves - Understanding Detection and Future Implications

Explore gravitational waves: their nature, sources, detection methods, and future implications in astronomy. Learn about LIGO's groundbreaking discoveries and the new era of cosmic observation.

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

The Ethics of Space Settlement

Explore ethical challenges of space settlement, from environmental protection to criminal justice, with astrophysicist Erika Nesvold. Gain insights on crucial considerations for humanity's multi-planetary future.

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