Celebrated Christmas Lectures previewed at Imperial’s White City Campus
White City residents got a preview of the Royal Institution’s famous Christmas Lectures as they were broadcast live at The Invention Rooms.
It is the first time that the lectures have been streamed live in their 184 year history.
Each year, the lectures take a different theme and an expert in the field delivers the presentations at the Royal Institution’s lecture theatre in Mayfair. The lectures are recorded, and broadcast over Christmas for families across the UK to enjoy.
The Christmas Lectures became the first science programme to be shown on national television when they were broadcast by the BBC in 1936, and have since become a mainstay of Christmas television.
Who am I?
The 2018 Lectures are presented by anthropologist, author and TV presenter Professor Alice Roberts and geneticist Professor Aiofe McLysaght, who explore our evolutionary story to reveal how we became who we are today in lectures titled ‘Who am I?’
This year the lectures were streamed live for the first time at select locations across the UK, including The Invention Rooms at Imperial’s White City Campus.
White City residents and local schoolchildren gathered in the recently opened Interaction Zone to watch Lecture Three, which unpicks the complex genetic variation that makes humans unique and how new technology is impacting our understanding of the genome.
The Imperial College London event was hosted by Dr Colin McClure, Strategic Teaching Fellow from the College’s Department of Life Sciences, who supplemented the lecture with hands-on demonstrations and experiments as the lecture was beamed in.
Gail Cardew, Director of Science and Education at the Royal Institution, said: “This marks an exciting development for the Royal Institution and the Christmas Lectures and fits well with our objective to give as many people as possible the opportunity to discover, discuss and critically examine science.
“The fact we are able to put on these events demonstrates the enduring appeal of the Christmas Lectures and the power of science to inspire and engage.
All three lectures will be available to watch on BBC Four between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Community Space
The Interaction Zone, which is the most recent facility to open at The Invention Rooms, is a welcoming space where the local community can take part in free hands-on activities, classes, tours, or relax over a cup of coffee.
The flexible facilities include a community garden and outside terrace, a brand new café, and space for vibrant exhibitions, displays and events.
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