The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures are a series of lectures on a single topic, which have been held at the Royal Institution in London each year since 1825. The lectures present scientific subjects to a general audience, including young people, in an informative and entertaining manner. Michael Faraday initiated the first Christmas Lecture series in 1825. This came at a time when organised education for young people was scarce. Faraday presented a total of nineteen series in all.
| Title | Air Date | Duration | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1968 | Episode 1 | The World of Captain Gulliver | 1968-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1968 | Episode 2 | Meat and Drink Sufficient for 1728 Lilliputians | 1968-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 1968 | Episode 3 | A Prodigious Leap? | 1969-01-02 | 60 min |
| Season 1968 | Episode 4 | Lilliput and Brobdingnag Since the Industrial Revolution | 1969-01-04 | 60 min |
| Season 1968 | Episode 5 | Dwarf and Giant Numbers | 1969-01-07 | 60 min |
| Season 1968 | Episode 6 | Beyond the Map | 1969-01-09 | 60 min |
| Season 1972 | Episode 1 | Ripples in the Ether: How it All Began | 1972-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 1972 | Episode 2 | Ripples in the Ether: Getting Rid of the Wires | 1973-01-01 | 60 min |
| Season 1972 | Episode 3 | The Sound of Broadcasting | 1973-01-02 | 60 min |
| Season 1972 | Episode 4 | Pictures With and Without Wires | 1973-01-03 | 60 min |
| Season 1972 | Episode 5 | But Electrons aren't Coloured! | 1973-01-04 | 60 min |
| Season 1972 | Episode 6 | Vision of the Future | 1973-01-05 | 60 min |
| Season 1976 | Episode 1 | First light | 1976-12-01 | 60 min |
| Season 1976 | Episode 2 | Light and life | 1976-12-02 | 60 min |
| Season 1976 | Episode 3 | A leaf from nature | 1976-12-03 | 60 min |
| Season 1976 | Episode 4 | Candles from the Sun | 1976-12-04 | 60 min |
| Season 1976 | Episode 5 | Making light work | 1976-12-05 | 60 min |
| Season 1976 | Episode 6 | Survival under the Sun | 1976-12-06 | 60 min |
| Season 1977 | Episode 1 | The Planets: The Earth As A Planet | 1977-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 1977 | Episode 2 | The Planets: The Outer Solar System And Life | 1977-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 1977 | Episode 3 | The Planets: The History Of Mars | 1977-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1977 | Episode 4 | The Planets: Mars Before Viking | 1977-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1977 | Episode 5 | The Planets: Mars After Viking | 1977-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 1977 | Episode 6 | The Planets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Sun | 1977-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 1979 | Episode 1 | Atoms for Enquiring Minds - Getting to Know Atoms | 1979-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 1979 | Episode 2 | Atoms for Enquiring Minds - Molecules in Motion | 1980-01-01 | 60 min |
| Season 1979 | Episode 3 | Atoms for Enquiring Minds - Electrified Atoms | 1980-01-02 | 60 min |
| Season 1979 | Episode 4 | Atoms for Enquiring Minds - Atoms that Explode | 1980-01-03 | 60 min |
| Season 1979 | Episode 5 | Atoms for Enquiring Minds - Atoms and Energy | 1980-01-04 | 60 min |
| Season 1979 | Episode 6 | Atoms for Enquiring Minds - Seeing Atoms at last | 1980-01-05 | 60 min |
| Season 1981 | Episode 1 | From Magna Carta to Microchip: Principles, Standards and Methods | 1981-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1981 | Episode 2 | From Magna Carta to Microchip: The Measurement of Time | 1981-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1981 | Episode 3 | From Magna Carta to Microchip: More and More About Less and Less | 1981-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 1981 | Episode 4 | From Magna Carta to Microchip: Onwards to the Stars | 1981-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 1981 | Episode 5 | From Magna Carta to Microchip: Measurement and Navigation in War | 1982-01-01 | 60 min |
| Season 1981 | Episode 6 | From Magna Carta to Microchip: Some Impacts of Measurement on Life - And Can We Take it too Far? | 1982-01-02 | 60 min |
| Season 1983 | Episode 1 | Machines In Motion: Driving Forces | 1983-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 1983 | Episode 2 | Machines In Motion: Gathering Momentum | 1983-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1983 | Episode 3 | Machines In Motion: Vibration | 1983-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1983 | Episode 4 | Machines In Motion: Under Control | 1983-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 1983 | Episode 5 | Machines In Motion: Fluids and Flight | 1983-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 1983 | Episode 6 | Machines In Motion: Living Machines | 1984-01-01 | 60 min |
| Season 1985 | Episode 1 | Communicating: No Man is an Island | 1986-01-06 | 60 min |
| Season 1985 | Episode 2 | Communicating: Animal Talk | 1986-01-07 | 60 min |
| Season 1985 | Episode 3 | Communicating: The Bionic Bat | 1986-01-08 | 60 min |
| Season 1985 | Episode 4 | Communicating: The Pace of Technology | 1986-01-09 | 60 min |
| Season 1985 | Episode 5 | Communicating: The Integrated Body | 1986-01-10 | 60 min |
| Season 1985 | Episode 6 | Communicating: Computers | 1986-01-11 | 60 min |
| Season 1987 | Episode 1 | Crystals and Lasers: The Micro-world | 1988-01-04 | 60 min |
| Season 1987 | Episode 2 | Crystals and Lasers: The Architecture of Crystals | 1988-01-05 | 60 min |
| Season 1987 | Episode 3 | Crystals and Lasers: Crystal Miracles | 1988-01-06 | 60 min |
| Season 1987 | Episode 4 | Crystals and Lasers: Constructing a LASER | 1988-01-07 | 60 min |
| Season 1987 | Episode 5 | Crystals and Lasers: The Light Fantastic | 1988-01-08 | 60 min |
| Season 1987 | Episode 6 | Crystals and Lasers: Crystals, LASERs and the Human Body | 1988-01-09 | 60 min |
| Season 1988 | Episode 1 | Appliance science | 1988-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1988 | Episode 2 | Home, safe home | 1988-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1988 | Episode 3 | Electronics for pleasure | 1988-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 1988 | Episode 4 | Home, smart home | 1989-01-02 | 60 min |
| Season 1988 | Episode 5 | Mixers, meters and molecules | 1989-01-03 | 60 min |
| Season 1989 | Episode 1 | Exploring music: What is music? | 1989-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 1989 | Episode 2 | Exploring music: The essence of an instrument | 1989-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1989 | Episode 3 | Exploring music: Science, strings and symphonies | 1989-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1989 | Episode 4 | Exploring music: Technology, trumpets and tunes | 1990-01-02 | 60 min |
| Season 1989 | Episode 5 | Exploring music: Scales, synthesizers and samplers | 1990-01-03 | 60 min |
| Season 1990 | Episode 1 | The Grand Design | 1990-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 1990 | Episode 2 | The Birth of the Stars | 1990-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1990 | Episode 3 | The Origin of Quasars | 1990-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1990 | Episode 4 | The Origin of Galaxies | 1991-01-02 | 60 min |
| Season 1990 | Episode 5 | The Origin of the Universe | 1991-01-03 | 60 min |
| Season 1991 | Episode 1 | Growing Up in the Universe: Waking Up in the Universe | 1991-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 1991 | Episode 2 | Growing Up in the Universe: Designed and Designoid Objects | 1991-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1991 | Episode 3 | Growing Up in the Universe: Climbing Mount Improbable | 1991-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1991 | Episode 4 | Growing Up in the Universe: The Ultraviolet Garden | 1991-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 1991 | Episode 5 | Growing Up in the Universe: The Genesis of Purpose | 1991-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 1992 | Episode 1 | Our World Through the Looking Glass: Man in the Mirror | 1992-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1992 | Episode 2 | Our World Through the Looking Glass: Narwhals, Palindromes and Chesterfield Station | 1992-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1992 | Episode 3 | Our World Through the Looking Glass: The Handed Molecule | 1992-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 1992 | Episode 4 | Our World Through the Looking Glass: Symmetry, Sensation and Sex | 1992-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 1992 | Episode 5 | Our World Through the Looking Glass: In the Hands of the Giants | 1993-01-01 | 60 min |
| Season 1993 | Episode 1 | The Cosmic Onion: A is for Atoms | 1993-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1993 | Episode 2 | The Cosmic Onion: To the Centre of the Sun | 1993-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1993 | Episode 3 | The Cosmic Onion: Invaders from Outer Space | 1993-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1993 | Episode 4 | The Cosmic Onion: Antimatter Matters | 1993-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 1993 | Episode 5 | The Cosmic Onion: An Hour to Make the Universe | 1993-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 1994 | Episode 1 | The Electric Ape | 1994-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1994 | Episode 2 | Through a Glass Darkly | 1994-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1994 | Episode 3 | Bubble, Bubble, Toil & Trouble | 1994-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 1994 | Episode 4 | The Seven Ages of the Brain | 1994-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 1994 | Episode 5 | The Mind's I | 1995-01-01 | 60 min |
| Season 1995 | Episode 1 | Planet Earth, On the Edge of the World | 1995-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 1995 | Episode 2 | Planet Earth, Secrets of the Deep | 1995-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1995 | Episode 3 | Planet Earth, Volcanoes-Melting the Earth | 1995-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1995 | Episode 4 | Planet Earth, The Puzzle of the Continents | 1995-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 1995 | Episode 5 | Planet Earth, Waterworld | 1995-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 1996 | Episode 1 | The History in our Bones - Staring Into The Abyss | 1996-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1996 | Episode 2 | The History in our Bones - The Fossils Come Alive | 1996-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1996 | Episode 3 | The History in our Bones - The Great Dyings - Life After Death | 1996-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 1996 | Episode 4 | The History in our Bones - Innovations And Novelty | 1996-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 1996 | Episode 5 | The History in our Bones - Feet On The Ground, Head In The Stars - The History Of Man | 1997-01-01 | 60 min |
| Season 1997 | Episode 1 | The Magical Maze: Sunflowers and Snowflakes | 1997-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1997 | Episode 2 | The Magical Maze: The Pattern of Tiny Feet | 1997-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1997 | Episode 3 | The Magical Maze: Outrageous Fortune | 1997-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 1997 | Episode 4 | The Magical Maze: Chaos and Cauliflowers | 1997-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 1997 | Episode 5 | The Magical Maze: Fearful Symmetry | 1998-01-01 | 60 min |
| Season 1998 | Episode 1 | Staying Alive: The Body in Balance: Sense and Sensitivity | 1998-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1998 | Episode 2 | Staying Alive: The Body in Balance: Fats and Figures | 1998-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1998 | Episode 3 | Staying Alive: The Body in Balance: Chilling Out | 1998-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 1998 | Episode 4 | Staying Alive: The Body in Balance: Times of our lives | 1998-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 1998 | Episode 5 | Staying Alive: The Body in Balance: Pushing the Limits | 1999-01-01 | 60 min |
| Season 1999 | Episode 1 | Arrow of Time: Back to the Future | 1999-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 1999 | Episode 2 | Arrow of Time: Catching the Waves | 1999-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 1999 | Episode 3 | Arrow of Time: Quantum Leap | 1999-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 1999 | Episode 4 | Arrow of Time: The Edge of Chaos | 1999-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 1999 | Episode 5 | Arrow of Time: Shaping the Future | 1999-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 2000 | Episode 1 | Rise of the Robots: Anatomy of an Android | 2000-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2000 | Episode 2 | Rise of the Robots: Things that Think | 2000-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2000 | Episode 3 | Rise of the Robots: Remote Robots | 2000-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2000 | Episode 4 | Rise of the Robots: Bionic Bodies | 2000-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 2000 | Episode 5 | Rise of the Robots: I, Robot | 2000-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 2001 | Episode 1 | The Secrets of Life: What Is Life? | 2001-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2001 | Episode 2 | The Secrets of Life: How Do I Grow? | 2001-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2001 | Episode 3 | The Secrets of Life: Who Am I? | 2001-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2001 | Episode 4 | The Secrets of Life: Can We Fix It? | 2001-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 2001 | Episode 5 | The Secrets of Life: The Future of Life? | 2001-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 2002 | Episode 1 | Smart Stuff: The Spider That Spun a Suspension Bridge | 2002-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2002 | Episode 2 | Smart Stuff: The Trainer That Ran Over the World | 2002-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2002 | Episode 3 | Smart Stuff: The Phone That Shrank the Planet | 2002-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2002 | Episode 4 | Smart Stuff: The Plaster That Streches Life | 2002-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 2002 | Episode 5 | Smart Stuff: The Ice Cream That Will Freeze Granny | 2002-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 2003 | Episode 1 | Voyage in Space and Time: Blast Off | 2003-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2003 | Episode 2 | Voyage in Space and Time: Mission to Mars | 2003-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2003 | Episode 3 | Voyage in Space and Time: Planet Patrol | 2003-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2003 | Episode 4 | Voyage in Space and Time: Collision Course | 2003-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 2003 | Episode 5 | Voyage in Space and Time: Anybody Out There? | 2003-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 2004 | Episode 1 | Antarctica: Ice People | 2004-12-16 | 60 min |
| Season 2004 | Episode 2 | Antarctica: Ice Life | 2004-12-18 | 60 min |
| Season 2004 | Episode 3 | Antarctica: Ice World | 2004-12-20 | 60 min |
| Season 2005 | Episode 1 | The Truth About Food: The Ape That Cooks | 2005-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2005 | Episode 2 | The Truth About Food: Yuck or Yummy? | 2005-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2005 | Episode 3 | The Truth About Food: You Are What You Eat | 2005-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2005 | Episode 4 | The Truth About Food: When Food Goes Wrong | 2005-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 2005 | Episode 5 | The Truth About Food: Food for the Future | 2005-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 2006 | Episode 1 | The Num8er My5teries: The Curious Incident of the Never-Ending Numbers | 2006-12-25 | 60 min |
| Season 2006 | Episode 2 | The Num8er My5teries: The story of the Elusive Shapes | 2006-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2006 | Episode 3 | The Num8er My5teries: The Secret of the Winning Streak | 2006-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2006 | Episode 4 | The Num8er My5teries: The Case of the Uncrackable Code | 2006-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2006 | Episode 5 | The Num8er My5teries: The Quest to Predict the Future | 2006-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 2007 | Episode 1 | Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival: Peak Performance | 2007-12-24 | 60 min |
| Season 2007 | Episode 2 | Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival: Completely Stuffed | 2007-12-25 | 60 min |
| Season 2007 | Episode 3 | Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival: Grilled and Chilled | 2007-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2007 | Episode 4 | Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival: Fight, Flight and Fright | 2007-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2007 | Episode 5 | Back from the Brink, the Science of Survival: Luck, Genes and Stupidity | 2007-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2008 | Episode 1 | Hi-tech Trek - The Quest for the Ultimate Computer: Breaking The Speed Limit | 2008-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 2008 | Episode 2 | Hi-tech Trek - The Quest for the Ultimate Computer: Chips With Everything | 2008-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 2008 | Episode 3 | Hi-tech Trek - The Quest for the Ultimate Computer: Ghost In The Machine | 2008-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 2008 | Episode 4 | Hi-tech Trek - The Quest for the Ultimate Computer: Untangling The Web | 2009-01-01 | 60 min |
| Season 2008 | Episode 5 | Hi-tech Trek - The Quest for the Ultimate Computer: Digital Intelligence | 2009-01-02 | 60 min |
| Season 2009 | Episode 1 | The 300-Million-Year War: Plant Wars | 2009-12-21 | 60 min |
| Season 2009 | Episode 2 | The 300-Million-Year War: The Animals Strike Back | 2009-12-22 | 60 min |
| Season 2009 | Episode 3 | The 300-Million-Year War: Talking Trees | 2009-12-23 | 60 min |
| Season 2009 | Episode 4 | The 300-Million-Year War: Dangerous to Delicious | 2009-12-24 | 60 min |
| Season 2009 | Episode 5 | The 300-Million-Year War: Weapons of the Future | 2009-12-25 | 60 min |
| Season 2010 | Episode 1 | Size Matters: Why Elephants Can't Dance | 2010-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2010 | Episode 2 | Size Matters: Why Chocolate Melts And Jet Engines Don't | 2010-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 2010 | Episode 3 | Size Matters: Why Mountains Are So Small | 2010-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 2011 | Episode 1 | Meet Your Brain: What's in Your Head? | 2011-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2011 | Episode 2 | Meet Your Brain: Who's in Charge Here? | 2011-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2011 | Episode 3 | Meet Your Brain: Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking? | 2011-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 2012 | Episode 1 | The Modern Alchemist: Air: The Elixir of Life | 2012-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2012 | Episode 2 | The Modern Alchemist: Water: The Fountain of Youth | 2012-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2012 | Episode 3 | The Modern Alchemist: The Philosopher's Stone | 2012-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2013 | Episode 1 | Life Fantastic: Where Do I Come From? | 2013-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2013 | Episode 2 | Life Fantastic: Am I a Mutant? | 2013-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 2013 | Episode 3 | Life Fantastic: Could I Live Forever? | 2013-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 2014 | Episode 1 | Sparks Will Fly: The Light Bulb Moment | 2014-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 2014 | Episode 2 | Sparks Will Fly: Making Contact | 2014-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 2014 | Episode 3 | Sparks Will Fly: A New Revolution | 2014-12-31 | 60 min |
| Season 2015 | Episode 1 | How to Survive in Space: Lift Off! | 2015-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2015 | Episode 2 | How to Survive in Space: Life in Orbit | 2015-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 2015 | Episode 3 | How to Survive in Space: The Next Frontier | 2015-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 2016 | Episode 1 | Supercharged - Fuelling the Future: Let There Be Light! | 2016-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2016 | Episode 2 | Supercharged - Fuelling the Future: People Power | 2016-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2016 | Episode 3 | Supercharged - Fuelling the Future: Fully Charged | 2016-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2017 | Episode 1 | The Language of Life: Say It With Sound | 2017-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2017 | Episode 2 | The Language of Life: Silent Messages | 2017-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2017 | Episode 3 | The Language of Life: The Word | 2017-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2018 | Episode 1 | Who Am I?: Where Do I Come From? | 2018-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2018 | Episode 2 | Who Am I?: What Makes Me Human? | 2018-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2018 | Episode 3 | Who Am I?: What Makes Me, Me? | 2018-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2019 | Episode 1 | How to Get Lucky | 2019-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2019 | Episode 2 | How to Bend the Rules | 2019-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2019 | Episode 3 | How Can We All Win? | 2019-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2020 | Episode 1 | Engine Earth | 2020-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2020 | Episode 2 | Water World | 2020-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 2020 | Episode 3 | Up in the Air | 2020-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 2021 | Episode 1 | The Invisible Enemy | 2021-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2021 | Episode 2 | The Perfect Storm | 2021-12-29 | 60 min |
| Season 2021 | Episode 3 | Winning the War | 2021-12-30 | 60 min |
| Season 2022 | Episode 1 | Dead Body | 2022-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2022 | Episode 2 | Missing Body | 2022-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2022 | Episode 3 | Living Body | 2022-12-28 | 60 min |
| Season 2023 | Episode 1 | How to Build an Intelligent Machine | 2023-12-26 | 60 min |
| Season 2023 | Episode 2 | My AI Life | 2023-12-27 | 60 min |
| Season 2023 | Episode 3 | The Future of AI: Dream or a Nightmare? | 2023-12-28 | 60 min |
