The Royal Institution is an organisation that has been around since 1799 - that's nearly 210 years! Many of the people that have worked there have been scientists themselves, including Michael Faraday, who is shown here in the lecture theatre which bears his name, delivering one of his famous Christmas Lectures in around 1856. He discovered that generating and using electricity could be made much easier, making it possible for us all to switch on lights, cook our dinner, play on games consoles and much much more.
The main thing that the Royal Institution does is to tell people about science, and try to get them as excited about scientific discoveries as we are. We think that science is really important, and that everyone should know a little bit about it. Part of the way we do this is to run events that anyone can come to about lots of different scientific topics. A good introduction to science is coming to one of our family fun days where you can have the chance to get your hands on some experiments. If you are serious about your science, some of the events in our public programme might interest you. Check out our events calendar to see what we have got coming up. Our events have been so popular that traffic jams were caused in the building outside, and drivers were all asked to face the same way, so our road, Albemarle Street, became the first one-way street in London!
Our newly refurbished building in Mayfair has an exciting exhibition about the important part that the RI has played in shaping the modern world. It tells of the role that corsets played in Faraday's discoveries on electricity, what Humphry Davy did when he discovered laughing gas and many other intriguing tales. Visitors to the new RI will also be able to use PDA technology to get the most from their visit, and have a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake in our brand new café.
You can also have a look around our website at the games and puzzles that we have about science. You might want to fire a rocket to find out more about forces, or steer Biodiversity Bob around his different habitats. Our games and puzzles cover biodiversity, elements, DNA, anatomy and space. You can also find out more about our Christmas Lectures and have a look at our websites that tell you The Truth About Food and explain The Num8er My5teries. If you really like science, you may want to find out more about becoming a Faraday Member of the Royal Institution.