Why is it that we can vividly remember a particular smell from years ago, but can’t remember where we put our keys a mere few hours prior? This month, we’re joined by renowned neuroscientist and author Dr Charan Ranganath to discuss how and why we remember.

Charan is a Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology, and Director of the Dynamic Memory Lab at UC Davis, and has recently released his first book ‘Why We Remember’. Charan takes us on a journey through our own minds, and a forward look at the future of memory research. 

Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! 

Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help other people discover the podcast.  

• Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: https://www.rigb.org/whats-on  

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution  

• X: https://twitter.com/Ri_Science  

Producer: Lia Hale 

Assistant producer: Freddie Rodgers 

Interviewer: Lisa Derry 

Music: Joseph Sandy 

In the second episode of this miniseries, we’re exploring how AI is impacting different areas of scientific research, and in this episode we discuss the applications of AI in healthcare. Lisa Derry is joined by Dr James Kinross, a colorectal surgeon and medical researcher at Imperial College London, to discuss everything from the impact of AI on medical publishing to robotic surgery.Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to be notified as soon as the next episode is released!Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help other people discover the podcast.

• Ri on AI episode 1: https://youtu.be/lxgaILSZEbU?si=T3INFIFJy9Zkx1wZ 
• Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: https://www.rigb.org/whats-on 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution 
• X: https://twitter.com/Ri_Science 

Lead producer: Lia Hale
Assistant producer: Freddie Rodgers
Interviewer: Lisa Derry
Music: Joseph Sandy

Following on from his Discourse, Yang-Hui He is joined by LIMS science writer Madeleine Hall to discuss the past, present and future of Geometry. From Euclid’s postulates to how flower petals are arranged, explore how our modern understanding of geometry has come to be. LIMS is based here at the Ri, and you can find out more about their research by following the link below.  

New Ri Science Podcast episodes will be released on the last Wednesday of every month, so make sure to tune in for the next episode at the end of March! 

Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help more people discover the podcast.  

• LIMS: https://lims.ac.uk/  
• Watch Yang’s Discourse here: https://youtu.be/z8jdndd-x7w?si=N6WIndinnec3HMwA 
• Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: https://www.rigb.org/whats-on
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution
• X: https://twitter.com/Ri_Science

Producer: Jeremy Monblat

Assistant producer: Lia Hale, Freddie Rodgers

Editor: Freddie Rodgers

Interviewer: Jeremy Monblat 

Music: Joseph Sandy

We’re exploring how AI is impacting different areas of scientific research, and in this episode we discuss AlphaFold, the machine learning programme from DeepMind that can determine a protein structure from its amino acids alone. Lisa Derry is joined by Dame Janet Thornton, an oracle of bioinformatics and former Director of the European Bioinformatics Institute, to discuss how AlphaFold has revolutionised its field, and what it could do in the future.

Thank you to our Christmas Lectures supporters and our title partner, CGI.

Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think of the new video format, and to help more people discover the podcast.

• Search the AlphaFold database: https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/
• Find out more about the 2023 CHRISTMAS LECTURES: https://www.rigb.org/christmas-lectures/truth-about-ai
• Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: www.rigb.org/whats-on
• YouTube: youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution
• Twitter: twitter.com/Ri_Science

Producer: Lia Hale

Production assistants: Sarah Dick and James Kavanagh

Interviewer: Lisa Derry

Music: Joseph Sandy

How can we improve the use of renewable energy in the power grid? In the final episode of the series 'Tales from my PhD', Charlotte Collingwood talks to Karan Mukhi about his work in computer science, creating algorithms to improve the efficiency of the national grid.

Follow Charlotte on Twitter: @NeuroCharlotte

Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think.

• Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: rigb.org/whats-on
• Watch videos on YouTube: youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution
• Follow us on social media: @Ri_Science

Produced by: Charlotte Collingwood

Music by: Joseph Sandy

How do you fight a fungus? In this episode of ‘Tales from my PhD’, Charlotte Collingwood talks to Camilla Molinari about her work in plant pathology, studying the mechanisms and genetics of the rice blast fungus in order to limit its impact on food crops.

• Follow Camilla on Twitter: ⁠@CamilaMolinari3
• Follow Charlotte on Twitter: ⁠@NeuroCharlotte⁠

Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think.

• Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: ⁠rigb.org/whats-on⁠
• Watch videos on YouTube: ⁠youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution⁠
• Follow us on social media: @Ri_Science

Produced by: Charlotte Collingwood Music by: Joseph Sandy

How can maths and computational models help us treat anxiety and depression? In this episode of 'Tales from my PhD', Charlotte Collingwood talks to Sophie Shang about her research in the field of computational psychiatry. A hallmark symptom of anxiety and depression is an intolerance of uncertainty. Sophie's work involves designing studies to test people's response to changes in their environment, analysing the data mathematically and then coding computational models in order to reveal patterns in human behaviour and mental health that are otherwise invisible.

• Follow Sophie on Twitter: @Sophie_Shang
• Follow Charlotte on Twitter: @NeuroCharlotte

Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think.

• Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: rigb.org/whats-on
• Watch videos on YouTube: youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution
• Follow us on social media: twitter.com/Ri_Science

Produced by: Charlotte Collingwood

Music by: Joseph Sandy

There are an estimated 5 trillion plastic particles in the oceans, spelling trouble for marine ecosystems. Manta rays are one group of species at risk – how can we protect these animals? In this episode of 'Tales from my PhD', Charlotte Collingwood talks to Jessica Savage about her work analysing the species distribution of manta rays and global plastic pollution maps to aid marine science and conservation.

• Follow Jessica on Twitter: @Jessicasavage29
• Follow Charlotte on Twitter: @NeuroCharlotte

Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think.

• Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: rigb.org/whats-on
• Watch videos on YouTube: youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution
• Follow us on social media: twitter.com/Ri_Science

Produced by: Charlotte Collingwood

Music by: Joseph Sandy

How can we detect massive objects in space when we can't see them by light?

On 14 September 2015, scientists opened a new window to observing the Universe when, for the first time, they directly detected gravitational waves, rippled out through spacetime from the merger of two black holes. 

In this episode, astronomer Tessa Baker explores how Einstein’s theory of gravity predicted the existence of gravitational waves, how delicate experiments eventually confirmed their existence, and how we can translate this experimental data into sounds, allowing us to hear the Universe.

This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution on 19 May 2023.

• Watch the talk on YouTube: youtu.be/U_J_uJcjQ0I
• Follow Tessa Baker on Twitter: @Tessa_M_Baker

Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think.

• Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: ⁠⁠⁠⁠rigb.org/whats-on⁠⁠⁠
• Watch videos on YouTube: ⁠youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution⁠⁠⁠
• Follow us on social media: ⁠twitter.com/Ri_Science⁠⁠⁠

Produced by: Sarah Dick

Music by: Joseph Sandy

Astrophysicists grapple with the Universe's big questions, but what does their day-to-day research actually entail? In the first of our new mini-series, 'Tales from my PhD', Charlotte Collingwood sits down with Rohan Varadaraj to discuss his work discovering new galaxies billions of light years away.

Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think.

• Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: ⁠⁠⁠rigb.org/whats-on⁠⁠
• Watch videos on YouTube: youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution⁠⁠
• Follow us on social media: twitter.com/Ri_Science⁠⁠

Produced by: Charlotte Collingwood

Music by: Joseph Sandy

How did societies develop across the globe and how did gender become so enmeshed in them? In this episode we join award-winning science journalist, Angela Saini, in conversation with former Australian prime-minister, Julia Gillard, as they go in search of the roots of gendered oppression. By looking at cultures throughout human history and in the modern day, they overturn simplistic universal theories to show that what patriarchy is and how far back it goes really depends on where you live.

Get Angela Saini's book: The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule

This talk was recorded from our theatre at the Royal Institution on 2 March 2023.

Please leave this episode a rating and a review to let us know what you think, and to help more people discover the podcast.

• Get tickets for upcoming talks and livestreams: ⁠rigb.org/whats-on⁠
• YouTube: ⁠youtube.com/TheRoyalInstitution⁠
• Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/Ri_Science⁠

Produced by: Sarah Dick

Music by: Joseph Sandy