The Royal Society - Video Podcasts

In this lecture, Professor James Lovelock discusses the consequences of climate change, particularly for the UK and Europe

Sir William Thomson, known to later generations as Lord Kelvin, was the quintessential Victorian physicist. He was also a leading figure in the development of the submarine cable network that linked the far-flung British Empire. This talk will examine how closely telegraphy and physics were intertwined in Kelvin's career. Presented by Professor Bruce J Hunt, Department of History, University of Texas

David Livingstone FRS, missionary, explorer, doctor and natural historian, was a prolific correspondent. A team of experts is now publishing his letters online, including those in the Royal Society's archives. This illustrated talk from the team describes Livingstone's adventures and this exciting new project.

Private anatomy teaching flourished in London in the second half of the 18th century. Many of its leading proponents were also Fellows of the Royal Society. This talk explores some of their stories, and the role of the Society in providing a public sanction for the noisome business of private dissection. Presented by Simon Chaplin, Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons

Royal Society luminaries such as Sir Joseph Banks PRS and John Lindley FRS were vital in establishing plant science at Kew. All but two of Kew's directors have been Fellows, and Kew's scientific progress has long been supported by the Society. This talk tells the story of this ongoing relationship. Presented by Professor Simon Owens, Head of Strategic Projects at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew