The Royal Society - Video Podcasts

This year sees the 300th anniversary of the topping out of St Paul's. This talk shows how the cathedral is a monument to a mathematician and scientist at the dawn of the Enlightenment, and looks at the changing career of England's foremost architect, already over 30 when he was appointed Royal Surveyor by Charles II.

The designs of civil engineer John Smeaton (1724-92), including wind and water mills, steam engines, river navigations, canals and harbours, are among the Society's archival treasures. This talk examines the purpose of the drawings and the development of surveying and engineering draughtsmanship in the 18th century.

A talk exploring the seventeenth-century fascination with life extension, including the speculations of Sir Francis Bacon and the early Fellows of the Royal Society, and tracing its influence on modern science and medicine including cryonics, genetic engineering and nanotechnology.

The electrification of Britain at the turn of the 20th century inspired not only fascination and puzzlement but also fear and revulsion. This talk looks at the controversies about the nature and applications of electricity, especially at women's role in taming electric lighting to make it aesthetically suitable for domestic usage.

A chance to take a guided tour of the Library's current exhibition, featuring fossils, lodestones and stuffed bird specimens from the Society's early museum. There will be short talks on how the collection began, Nehemiah Grew's influential catalogue, and the afterlife of the Repository following its transfer to the British Museum.

Mike Green, author of 'The Nearly Men', delves into the dark side of technological advance, looking at the bitter rivalries, tales of treachery and acts of deceit behind the inventions and scientific discoveries which defined the modern age.

Chelsea Physic Garden was founded in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries. Find out how this unique garden has survived over the centuries, and how it is as relevant in today's environment as it was when it was created as an outdoor classroom for the apprentice apothecaries.

The Royal Society began with a group of men who were interested in natural phenomena and wanted to understand how their world worked - but they were not trained scientists. This talk will explore some of the lesser known aspects of their research programme, featuring carts with legs, monstrous births, and showers of fish from the heavens. Presented by Dr Felicity Henderson, King's College London

A chance to take a guided tour of our India exhibition, and to see stunning illustrations of Indian flora and fauna from our book collections. There will be short talks on the background to the exhibition, and on the role of the East India Company in bringing these treasures to Western eyes. Presented by Anna Winterbottom, Queen Mary, University of London, and Rupert Baker, Royal Society Library.

When balloons were invented, there was a lively debate about their possible uses. This talk introduces the spectrum of meanings that became attached to balloons, and shows how natural philosophers vied with adventurers to explore and understand the regions of air. Presented by Dr Clare Brant, King's College London.

The Royal Society and its Fellows have been at the forefront of polar exploration for scientific purposes. This is an opportunity to find out more about these extraordinary expeditions and the resourceful pioneers who led them. Presented by Joanna Corden, Royal Society Library

A fascinating look at the disorganised paper trail left by Robert Hooke, the Royal Society's first Curator of Experiments, and at the efforts of contemporary historians to piece together his paperwork and restore his legacy.

Rupert Baker, Library Manager of the Royal Society looks at travel and expedition related stories using RS archive material.

Lecture by Steve Jones given at the Royal Society 11th April 2006

Bill Bryson, acclaimed author of 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' and winner of the 2004 Aventis Prize for Science Books, talks about how, in his biggest book, he confronted his greatest challenge yet: to understand - and, if possible, answer - the oldest, biggest questions we have posed about the universe and ourselves.