Ri Science Podcast

2025 is the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, as marked by the UN, to celebrate 100 years since the birth of quantum mechanics. But quantum science is one of the least diverse areas of science in terms of gender and other protected characteristics. Jess Wade, a physicist and lecturer in functional materials at Imperial College London, has been fighting the inequality in quantum physics and beyond by creating thousands of Wikipedia pages for women scientists. Jess joins us this month to discuss the past, present, and future of quantum science along with what can be done to increase diversity within the field.   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 producers: Katie Mortimer, Isla Nakano   Interviewer: Lia Hale  Music: Joseph Sandy 

Halloween means lots of sweets, which in turn means lots of packaging. We’re starting to see more of the packaging on our shelves labelled as sustainable in some way, but are they really? Mike Shaver is a Professor of Polymer Science and Director of the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub at the University of Manchester, and joins us this month to unpick the current landscape of sustainable materials, and discuss whether or not a fully recyclable plastic is possible. 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 Music: Joseph Sandy

What makes a planet habitable? What are we looking for to find Earth 2.0? And how do you get a chunk of an asteroid through airport security? This month, astrophysicist Elizabeth Tasker discusses the latest missions at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and explores how our knowledge has progressed since she last spoke at the Ri back in 2018.   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  Music: Joseph Sandy 

Today marks the beginning of the Paralympic Games, and nearly 3 weeks since the end of the Olympic Games in Paris. But what actually happens to your brain when you exercise? What’s the science behind ‘runner’s high’? And why isn’t there enough research on women in sport? This month, we’re joined by exercise neuroscientist Flaminia Ronca, from UCL and the Institute of Sport Exercise and Health. She shares with us which chemical and physiological systems are involved when we exercise, and how regular exercise can decrease our chances of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.     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: Isla Nakano  Interviewer: Lia Hale  Music: Joseph Sandy