Eline van der Kruk takes us on a journey to the world of biomechanics, a place where computer simulations and smart sensors are being developed to push the boundaries of human movement. The Karl Luyben Lecture is dedicated to rector magnificus emeritus Karel Luyben and is held once a year somewhere in the world outside of Delft, The Netherlands, and once a year in Delft. 

This talk was recorded at the Ri on 30 October 2019.  

Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! 

• Book tickets to upcoming talks on our website 
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel 
• Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok 

Producer: Lia Hale 

Music: Joseph Sandy 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This pride month, we hear from two exceptional queer scientists about their research and journeys in STEM. Izzy Jayasinghe is the Head of Molecular Medicine at UNSW in Sydney, and her research investigates how cell signalling mechanisms impact cardiac health, and the microscopy methods used to observe these mechanisms. Alfredo Carpineti is an astrophysicist, science journalist, and founder of Pride in STEM, whose first book 'Invisible Rainbows' explores the scientific discoveries beyond the visible light spectrum.

Resources:

• Pride in STEM
• LGBTQ+ STEM
• oSTEM
• RSC LGBT+ toolkit

Join us for Alfredo's talk on Monday 6 July!

Alfredo will also be featuring in our For Your Inspiration event for young people on Saturday 25 July, exploring all things space science.

Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! 

• Book tickets to upcoming talks on our website 
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel 
• Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok 

Producer and presenter: Lia Hale

Music: Joseph Sandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Agency explores the discoveries made through applications of space science, climate change and engineering and how they have changed humanity's perspectives of our position in the universe, and ask what difference space, science and technology have made to our everyday lives.

This talk was recorded at the Ri on 20 January 2024, in collaboration with the UK Space Agency.

From the Theatre episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month, revisiting a talk from our public programme. Regular Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of the month.

• Watch Anu's full talk on YouTube
• Revisit our From the Lab series in collaboration with UCL
• Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok 
• Book tickets to upcoming talks on our website 

Presenter and producer: Lia Hale

Music: Joseph Sandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neutrinos are the most important particle you were never taught about. They are created in radioactive decays in the sun, the centre of the Earth, supernovae, and even beer. Particle physicist Kirsty Duffy joins us this month to discuss the origins and properties of neutrinos, as well as her work on a research project that may hold the key to answering some of the most fundamental questions in physics.

Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! 

•Explore our Summer Programme on our website 

•Subscribe to our YouTube channel 

•Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok 

Producer and presenter: Lia Hale

Music: Joseph Sandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is offering a revolutionary new treatment option for a range of diseases, particularly cancers. By combining the skills of physicists and physicians, PDT uses light to kill living cells without damaging the structural integrity of the surrounding tissue.

Stephen Bown is the founder of the National Medical Laser Centre, and has decades of experience both developing and implementing PDT. He joins us for this month's From the Lab episode ahead of his Discourse on Friday 29 May.

About 'From the Lab':

This is the fifth of our new 'From the Lab' series, taking the place of our 'From the Theatre' episodes. UCL are celebrating their 200th anniversary in 2026, and we've collaborated with them to host UCL researchers as our Discourse speakers throughout 2026. As part of this collaboration, we'll be bringing you episodes with each of these speakers two weeks before their Discourses to explore their research topics further and give you a sneak peek of what's to come in their Discourse.

Buy tickets to Stephen's Discourse on Friday 29 May on our website.

Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! 

•Book tickets to upcoming talks on our website 

•Subscribe to our YouTube channel 

•Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok 

Producer and presenter: Lia Hale

Music: Joseph Sandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How are segments of DNA preserved from ancient viruses impacting the functioning of the placenta? And how does this lead to pregnancy complications? Jennifer Frost leads a team of researchers at Kings College London, investigating the role of transposons in the placenta which leads to pregnancy complications. She joins us this month to explore what transposons are, why the placenta is so susceptible to their influence, and how this can manifest in pregnancy.

Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! 

• Explore our Summer Programme on our website 
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel 
• Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok 

Producer and presenter: Lia Hale

Music: Joseph Sandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From thin film coatings to drug delivery and even antimicrobial resistance, nanoparticles have a huge range of applications. In this month's From The Lab episode, chemist Ivan Parkin explores some of these applications pursued by his research group at UCL ahead of his Discourse in April.

About 'From the Lab':

This is the third of our new 'From the Lab' series, taking the place of our 'From the Theatre' episodes. UCL are celebrating their 200th anniversary in 2026, and we've collaborated with them to host UCL researchers as our Discourse speakers throughout 2026. As part of this collaboration, we'll be bringing you episodes with each of these speakers two weeks before their Discourses to explore their research topics further and give you a sneak peek of what's to come in their Discourse.

Buy tickets to Ivan's Discourse on Friday 24 April on our website.

Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! 

• Book tickets to upcoming talks on our website 
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel 
• Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok 

Producer and presenter: Lia Hale

Music: Joseph Sandy  

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The science of consciousness is a complex and constantly evolving field of research. Neuroscientists are still understanding how it originates in humans, but the question now arises of whether Artificial Intelligence could ever become conscious. Cognitive and computational neuroscientist Anil Seth discusses the current theories for consciousness, and the probability of AI ever becoming conscious, in his essay 'the mythology of conscious AI' which won him the 2025 Berggruen Prize Essay Competition.

Read Anil's winning essay here.

Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! 

• Book tickets to upcoming talks on our website 
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel 
• Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok 

Producer and presenter: Lia Hale

Assistant producer: Georgina Gonzalez and Freddie Rodgers

Music: Joseph Sandy  

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Subramanian, ahead of his Discourse at the end of March. Sriram explains the science behind acoustic holography and levitation, and how we could see these concepts in practice in industries ranging from gaming to medicine.

About 'From the Lab':

This is the third of our new 'From the Lab' series, taking the place of our 'From the Theatre' episodes. UCL are celebrating their 200th anniversary in 2026, and we've collaborated with them to host UCL researchers as our Discourse speakers throughout 2026. As part of this collaboration, we'll be bringing you episodes with each of these speakers two weeks before their Discourses to explore their research topics further and give you a sneak peek of what's to come in their Discourse.

Buy tickets to Sriram's Discourse on Friday 27 March on our website.

Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! 

• Book tickets for upcoming talks
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel 
• Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok 

Producer and presenter: Lia Hale

Music: Joseph Sandy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can ancient DNA help us understand how diseases spread? This month, geneticist and pathogen genomics expert Pooja Swali explains how samples of DNA from the past can reveal how diseases have spread across the world over time. We explore the what, where, how, and why of ancient DNA research, and what doors these questions have opened for the future of the field. Pooja has worked extensively on Yersinia pestis, the bacteria responsible for plague, and uncovered the existence of plague thousands of years earlier than previously anticipated.

Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! 

• Book tickets to upcoming talks on our website 
• Subscribe to our YouTube channel 
• Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok 

Producer and presenter: Lia Hale

Music: Joseph Sandy  

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.