Specials

1998 | 1 Episodes

Specials of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 27, 1998

1966

1970 | 0 Episodes

1966 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1967

1970 | 0 Episodes

1967 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1968

1970 | 0 Episodes

1968 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1969

1970 | 0 Episodes

1969 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1970

1970 | 0 Episodes

1970 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1971

1970 | 0 Episodes

1971 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1972

1970 | 0 Episodes

1972 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1973: The Languages of Animals

1970 | 6 Episodes

1973: The Languages of Animals of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

Sir David Attenborough on animal communication. Episode 4 is lost.

1974

1970 | 0 Episodes

1974 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1975

1970 | 0 Episodes

1975 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1976

1970 | 0 Episodes

1976 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1977

1970 | 6 Episodes

1977 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1978: Mathematics into Pictures

1970 | 6 Episodes

1978: Mathematics into Pictures of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1979

1970 | 0 Episodes

1979 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1980

1970 | 0 Episodes

1980 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1981

1970 | 0 Episodes

1981 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1982

1970 | 0 Episodes

1982 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1983

1970 | 0 Episodes

1983 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1984

1970 | 0 Episodes

1984 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1985: Communicating

1970 | 0 Episodes

1985: Communicating of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1986

1970 | 0 Episodes

1986 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1987: Crystals and Lasers

1970 | 0 Episodes

1987: Crystals and Lasers of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1988

1970 | 0 Episodes

1988 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1989

1970 | 0 Episodes

1989 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1990

1970 | 0 Episodes

1990 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1991: Growing Up in the Universe

1991 | 5 Episodes

1991: Growing Up in the Universe of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 26, 1991

1992

1970 | 0 Episodes

1992 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1993: The Cosmic Onion

1993 | 5 Episodes

1993: The Cosmic Onion of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 26, 1993

1994

1970 | 0 Episodes

1994 of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1995: Planet Earth, An Explorer's Guide

1970 | 5 Episodes

1995: Planet Earth, An Explorer's Guide of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1996: The History in our Bones

1996 | 5 Episodes

1996: The History in our Bones of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 26, 1996

1997: The Magical Maze

1970 | 0 Episodes

1997: The Magical Maze of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1998: Staying Alive: The Body in Balance

1970 | 5 Episodes

1998: Staying Alive: The Body in Balance of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

1999: Arrow of Time

1970 | 0 Episodes

1999: Arrow of Time of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

2000: Rise of the Robots

1970 | 0 Episodes

2000: Rise of the Robots of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

2001: The Secrets of Life

1970 | 0 Episodes

2001: The Secrets of Life of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

2002: Smart Stuff

1970 | 0 Episodes

2002: Smart Stuff of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on January 1, 1970

2003: Voyage in Space and Time

2003 | 6 Episodes

2003: Voyage in Space and Time of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 26, 2003

2004: To the Ends of the Earth: Surviving Antarctic Extremes

2004 | 3 Episodes

2004: To the Ends of the Earth: Surviving Antarctic Extremes of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 16, 2004

2005: The Truth About Food

2005 | 5 Episodes

2005: The Truth About Food of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 25, 2005

2006: The Num8er My5teries

2006 | 5 Episodes

2006: The Num8er My5teries of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 25, 2006

2007: Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival

2007 | 5 Episodes

2007: Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 23, 2007

2008: Hi-tech Trek - The Quest for the Ultimate Computer

2008 | 5 Episodes

2008: Hi-tech Trek - The Quest for the Ultimate Computer of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 28, 2008

2009: The 300-Million-Year War

2009 | 5 Episodes

2009: The 300-Million-Year War of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 21, 2009

2010: Size Matters

2010 | 3 Episodes

2010: Size Matters of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 28, 2010

2011: Meet Your Brain

2011 | 3 Episodes

2011: Meet Your Brain of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 27, 2011

2012: The Modern Alchemist

2012 | 3 Episodes

2012: The Modern Alchemist of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 26, 2012

2013: Life Fantastic

2013 | 3 Episodes

2013: Life Fantastic of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 28, 2013

2014: Sparks Will Fly - How to Hack your Home

2014 | 3 Episodes

2014: Sparks Will Fly - How to Hack your Home of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 29, 2014

2015: How to Survive in Space

2015 | 3 Episodes

2015: How to Survive in Space of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 28, 2015

2016: Supercharged - Fuelling the Future

2016 | 3 Episodes

2016: Supercharged - Fuelling the Future of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 26, 2016

2017: The Language of Life

2017 | 3 Episodes

2017: The Language of Life of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 26, 2017

2018: Who Am I?

2018 | 3 Episodes

2018: Who Am I? of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 26, 2018

Professor Alice Roberts and Professor Aoife McLysaght take viewers on an immersive voyage through our evolutionary past and ask challenging questions about what our future holds.

2019: Secrets & Lies - The Hidden Power of Maths

2019 | 3 Episodes

2019: Secrets & Lies - The Hidden Power of Maths of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 26, 2019

Dr. Hannah Fry reveals the hidden rules and patterns that govern every aspect of our world.

2020: Planet Earth: A user’s guide

2020 | 3 Episodes

2020: Planet Earth: A user’s guide of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 28, 2020

2021: Going viral: How Covid changed science forever

2021 | 3 Episodes

2021: Going viral: How Covid changed science forever of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 28, 2021

England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Jonathan Van-Tam will be joined by a host of top UK scientists to take a deep dive into the science of viruses.

2022: Secrets of Forensic Science

2022 | 3 Episodes

2022: Secrets of Forensic Science of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 26, 2022

Professor Dame Sue Black reveals the secrets of the real-life scientific detective process she uses to identify both the dead and the living.

2023: The Truth about AI

2023 | 3 Episodes

2023: The Truth about AI of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 26, 2023

2024: The Truth About Food

2024 | 3 Episodes

2024: The Truth About Food of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 29, 2024

In this year’s Christmas Lectures, Dr Chris van Tulleken delves deep into our guts – to reveal the revolutionary latest science around what happens inside our bodies when we eat. He investigates how food has fundamentally shaped human evolution, uncovers the importance of our microbiome – as the extra ‘organ’ we didn’t know we had – and asks how we can all eat better in future, for the sake of our own health and the health of the planet. Chris will reveal how what we eat can have a massive effect on both our bodies and our brains. He’ll bring the science to life through a series of fact fuelled demos, special guest appearances, festive food hacks, and a healthy dose of self-experimentation. From tastebuds to toilet, we’ll find out what happens in the body when we eat. How we eat with our eyes (green eggs and ham anyone?) and how smell and even sound can affect the taste of our food.

2025: Is There Life Beyond Earth?

2025 | 3 Episodes

2025: Is There Life Beyond Earth? of Royal Institution Christmas Lectures premiered on December 28, 2025

Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock takes us on a voyage deep into space, on an astronomical search for extraterrestrial life, celebrating 200 years of the Christmas Lectures.