The Royal Society’s popular Summer Science Exhibition went totally digital for 2021.
With a packed programme of inspiring talks, fun science from home activities and exciting digital content, there is something for all ages.
Nineteen research groups from across the UK demonstrate their research through innovative digital experiences, from escape rooms and quizzes to virtual tours and digital games.
You can explore all the cutting-edge research through our interactive Summer Science hub, with four exciting zones:
Zone 1: View from above
Blast off to the view from above zone to discover where galaxies come from, how we can track carbon from space, whether there has ever been life on Mars or simply marvel at how the iconic images from Hubble have changed the way we view our Universe forever.
Zone 2: Urban landscape
Explore the urban landscape zone to find out how microbes can turn rubbish into riches, test whether you can tell a landmine from a bottle top, design your own aeroplane based on a birds’ wing, test your eye control with the latest in robot simulations or discover how our air could be fresh again.
Zone 3: Under the skin
Delve under the skin in our zone dedicated to bodily research. Explore how tumours are made of different types of cells, why humans are smelly or how researchers are learning to grow new body parts from stem cells. Try your hand at creating 3D-printed personalised pills or ask yourself if you would connect your brain to the internet.
Zone 4: Forces of nature
Bring the outdoors in and explore the forces of nature zone. Do you know what a bee’s favourite flower is, or what the last day of the dinosaurs looked like? Discover what happens when we have too much water and take a forward look as we see how nature can help us to tackle the climate emergency and help us build a more sustainable future.
In addition to the zones there is a programme of short, online lightning lectures as well as interactive workshops and family shows. The Big Summer Science Quiz returns with science-themed rounds from well-known faces, so get your team together!
Take part in Summer Science on demand
- All activities and events are free and suitable for a variety of ages
- If you can’t access the interactive Summer Science hub, quick links to all the research group content are available directly from the website
- For all enquiries please email exhibition@royalsociety.org
History of the Summer Science Exhibition
For more than three decades, every year in July the Royal Society has opened the doors to its building in central London and welcomed thousands of visitors to meet the researchers behind some of the leading science in the UK.
More than 700 researchers from across the country take part, talking to visitors about their work and demonstrating the scientific principles and discoveries with hands-on interactives and talks. As the UK’s national academy of science, the Royal Society is committed to demonstrating the importance of science to everyone, and the Summer Science Exhibition is our flagship public engagement event.
Its history dates back to 1778 when the President at the time, Joseph Banks, started ‘conversaziones’ (later known as the Soirees). An opportunity for Fellows of the Royal Society to show their latest research and breakthroughs, they have since developed into the annual public Summer Science Exhibition.
For 2021, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Summer Science Exhibition will run an online only programme of content.
