Royal Institution Christmas Lectures

Synopsis

The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures are a series of lectures on a single topic, which have been held at the Royal Institution in London each year since 1825. The lectures present scientific subjects to a general audience, including young people, in an informative and entertaining manner. Michael Faraday initiated the first Christmas Lecture series in 1825. This came at a time when organised education for young people was scarce. Faraday presented a total of nineteen series in all.

Details

Aired

January 4, 1966

Status

Returning Series

Network

Channel 4

Episodes

125

View on IMDb

Where to watch

No known streaming options in United States.

Seasons

1. 1973: The Languages of Animals · episodes: 6
2. 1977 · episodes: 6
3. 1978: Mathematics into Pictures · episodes: 6
4. 1991: Growing Up in the Universe · episodes: 5 · 1991
5. 1993: The Cosmic Onion · episodes: 5 · 1993
6. 1995: Planet Earth, An Explorer's Guide · episodes: 5
7. 1996: The History in our Bones · episodes: 5 · 1996
8. 1998: Staying Alive: The Body in Balance · episodes: 5
9. 2003: Voyage in Space and Time · episodes: 6 · 2003
10. 2004: To the Ends of the Earth: Surviving Antarctic Extremes · episodes: 3 · 2004
11. 2005: The Truth About Food · episodes: 5 · 2005
12. 2006: The Num8er My5teries · episodes: 5 · 2006
13. 2007: Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival · episodes: 5 · 2007
14. 2008: Hi-tech Trek · episodes: 5 · 2008
15. 2009: The 300-Million-Year War · episodes: 5 · 2009
16. 2010: Size Matters · episodes: 3 · 2010
17. 2011: Meet Your Brain · episodes: 3 · 2011
18. 2012: The Modern Alchemist · episodes: 3 · 2012
19. 2013: Life Fantastic · episodes: 3 · 2013
20. 2014: Sparks Will Fly - How to Hack your Home · episodes: 3 · 2014
21. 2015: How to Survive in Space · episodes: 3 · 2015
22. 2016: Supercharged - Fuelling the Future · episodes: 3 · 2016
23. 2017: The Language of Life · episodes: 3 · 2017
24. 2018: Who Am I? · episodes: 3 · 2018
25. 2019: Secrets & Lies - The Hidden Power of Maths · episodes: 3 · 2019
26. 2020: Planet Earth: A User’s Guide · episodes: 3 · 2020
27. 2021: Going Viral: How Covid Changed Science Forever · episodes: 3 · 2021
28. 2022: Secrets of Forensic Science · episodes: 3 · 2022
29. 2023: The Truth about AI · episodes: 3 · 2023
30. 2024: The Truth About Food · episodes: 3 · 2024
31. 2025: Is There Life Beyond Earth? · episodes: 3 · 2025

Cast

• Peter Wothers

  Self - Presenter
• Alison Woollard

  Self - Presenter
• Danielle George

  Herself - Presenter
• Aoife McLysaght

  Self - Presenter
• Professor Jonathan Van-Tam

  Himself - Presenter
• 
  Kevin Fong

  Self - Presenter
• 
  Alice Roberts

  Self - Presenter
• 
  Hannah Fry

  Self - Presenter
• 
  Maggie Aderin-Pocock

  Self - Presenter
• 
  Chris van Tulleken

  Himself
• 
  Helen Czerski

  Herself - Presenter
• 
  Tara Shine

  Herself - Presenter

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