The Royal Institution of Great Britain, to give it its full title, was founded in 1799 by a group of leading British scientists and philanthropists. The Royal Institution (Ri) set itself the lofty aim of diffusing scientific knowledge to the general public. Membership of the Ri remains open to anybody who takes an interest in scientific and philosophical matters. Once the privilege of Members, the Ri's majestic premises on Albemarle Street, in London's Mayfair, are now open to the public.
Public Engagement with Science
The Friday Evening Discourses were started by Michael Faraday in 1826 and continue to this day. The less formal Talking Points are an opportunity for non-members to listen to leading edge scientists discuss their work. The Ri has also started holding Family Fun Days on the first Saturday of the month. This is an excellent bridge between the Ri's traditional events that were either aimed exclusively at adults or at children.
Children's Christmas Lectures
The most famous children's event at the Ri has been its Christmas Lectures. Started in 1825 by Faraday, he himself delivered no fewer than 19 series. The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures are televised in the UK and many recent series are now also available on DVD or as webcasts.
Time & Space Restaurant
As part of the Royal Institution's modernisation programme is the opening of a brand new bar and restaurant called Time & Space. Feeding the mind can be thirsty work, so now one can stay within the sanctuary of the Ri and have one's physical and mental energies satisfied.
Michael Faraday
The figure of Michael Faraday looms large in the history of the Royal Institution, as he is not only one of their most famous scientists but also embodies the very spirit of the Ri's success. He did not come from a wealthy family so university education was not an option, but after spending 7 years working for a bookbinder he joined the Ri in 1813 as a Chemistry Assistant to Humphry Davy. By 1825 he had become Director of the Ri's laboratory and in 1833 made Fullerian Professor of Chemistry, holding both positions till the end of his life.
The Museum
What was formerly the Faraday Museum has now been expanded so that every floor of the Ri building has exhibition space. The highlight remains Faraday's magnetic laboratory as it was in the 1850's but there are also hands-on exhibits where the visitor can investigate which 10 elements were discovered at the Royal Institution, as well as fascinating facts about scientists associated with the Ri such as Ada Lovelace, Lord Byron's daughter, gifted mathematician and assistant to Charles Babbage.
A Nanotechnology Laboratory
It is perhaps surprising to discover a real working laboratory in the heart of Mayfair, and yet the Royal Institution takes great pride in having had 14 Nobel Prize winners grace its research facilities. The Davy-Faraday Research Laboratory is next to the historical Faraday laboratory and continues the tradition of magnetism with a focus on the nanotechnology of small magnetic particles; a field known as biomagnetics.
Science Media Centre
The Science Media Centre is a press office putting journalists in contact with scientists who are willing to be interviewed or consulted about scientific issues of interest to news organisations. The SMC also assists scientists in understanding how the media works so as to communicate their ideas more effectively outside of an academic environment.
The Royal Institution now has many strings to its bow but the aim remains the same; to further the scientific understanding of the wider public.
Richard Mankiewicz - I write on a wide variety of topics from the broad perspective of the relationship between the arts and sciences. The aim is to break down ...
