Talk: A brief history of the universe

This event is part of the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition 2026.

Dr Sarah Alam Malik, particle physicist and author of A Brief History of the Universe (and our place in it), takes us on a journey through the discoveries that shaped our perception of the cosmos. From the Earth-centred worldview of Aristotle and the Copernican revolution to Isaac Newton unifying the terrestrial and celestial under the law of gravity. Each breakthrough is a testament to humanity’s determination to peek behind the curtain of our world to examine what’s underneath.

From dying stars blazing across distant galaxies to the hidden world of subatomic particles, this talk will explore the wonders we’ve uncovered—and how they continue to redefine our place in the cosmos.

This event is part of the Trivedi Science Book Prize talks strand at Summer Science Exhibition 2026.

Attending the event

This event will be held in Theatre 2 at the Royal Society on Friday 3 July 2026, 1pm – 1.30pm.

• Free to attend as part of Summer Science Exhibition on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to seat availability. We recommend that visitors arrive 10-15 minutes before the session
• Eventbrite tickets for Summer Science Exhibition are recommended, with only a limited number of walk-up tickets released on the day
• Suitable for students aged 14+
• This talk will take place in person
• A recording of this talk will be available later on the Royal Society YouTube channel
• Live subtitles will be available
• Travel and accessibility information and details on planning your visit - contact us directly to arrange any specific accessibility requirements
• Food and drink will be available for purchase at our onsite café

For all enquiries, please email us.