In conversation: The rise and rise of the machines
This event is part of the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition 2026.
Supercomputers are capable of performing quadrillions of calculations in seconds, playing a vital role in all some of humanity’s greatest challenges, from advancing climate research to understanding the very beginnings of our universe.
But as the technology advances and their computing power increases at pace, what else might these machines help us to achieve, in AI, medicine, space exploration, engineering and almost any other problem that involves mega scale calculations or modelling of ultra-complex systems? And with the high demand of supercomputers for energy, cooling and water, what is being done to ensure that the benefits of supercomputing outweigh its environmental impact?
The teams behind Universe makers and Supercomputers: the good, the bad and the beautiful come together to discuss this fascinating area of cutting-edge technology.
Speakers include:
- Professor Andrew Pontzen – Director of the Institute for Computational Cosmology at Durham University and author of The Universe in a Box (2023)
- Dr Lorna Smith – Programme Manager, Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre (EPCC), the UK’s first National Supercomputing Centre
- Ellie Sleightholm (Chair) – Mathematician and presenter who shares the wonder of mathematics with her highly-engaged audience across YouTube and social media
Attending the event
This event will be held in Theatre 1 at the Royal Society on Friday 3 July 2026, 3.10pm – 3.50pm.
- 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
- 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.