Started by Michael Faraday in 1825, and now broadcast on national television, the Christmas Lectures bring a science topic to our screens over three nights every year. The series of lectures has always been held within the Royal Institution in London, but this year, of course, is going to be slightly different.
In this week’s episode, editorial assistant Amy Barrett is joined by three expert scientists, Tara Shine, Chris Jackson and Helen Czerski, who are going to be presenting the 2020 Christmas Lectures, titled Planet Earth: A User’s Guide.
The lectures will be broadcast at 8pm on BBC 4, starting with lecture one 28 December when geologist Chris Jackson will reveal our Earth’s climate story through the rocks and the fossil record.
In lecture two, airing 29 December, physicist and oceanographer Helen Czerski will talk about the part our oceans play in the climate crisis.
And in lecture three on 30 December, environmental scientist Tara Shine will talk about carbon emissions and what we’re really breathing in.
Let us know what you think of the episode with a review or a comment wherever you listen to your podcasts.
- Subscribe to the Science Focus Podcast on these services: Acast, iTunes, Stitcher, RSS, Overcast
- Read the full transcription [this will open in a new window]
Listen to more episodes of the Science Focus Podcast:
- Hannah Fry: How much of our lives is secretly underpinned by maths?
- Royal Institution Christmas Lectures past and present
- Sir David Attenborough: How can we save our planet?
- Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac: Has climate change determined our future?
- Everything you ever wanted to know about… the deep sea with Dr Jon Copley
- Mark Miodownik: Are biodegradable plastics really better than traditional plastic?
Authors
Amy is the Editorial Assistant at BBC Science Focus. Her BA degree specialised in science publishing and she has been working as a journalist since graduating in 2018. In 2020, Amy was named Editorial Assistant of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors. She looks after all things books, culture and media. Her interests range from natural history and wildlife, to women in STEM and accessibility tech.
