Talk: How life thrives in impossible places

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

From scorching deserts to frozen sea beds, from the highest peaks of the Himalaya to the hadal depths of the oceans, there are habitats on this Earth that appear inimical to life – yet in which it flourishes nevertheless. During the midday heat of the Sahara, silvery ants sprint from their nests to feed. In North American forests, wood frogs awaken each spring from solid blocks of ice. At the site of the Chernobyl disaster, fungi harness radiation to thrive.

In this talk, award-winning science writer and author of Super Natural: How Life Thrives in Impossible Places, Alex Riley, will paint a portrait of life’s resilience and ingenuity under the harshest circumstances. You’ll hear how, at nature’s extremes, the rules of life as we know them are rewritten – and how, here, we can find hope for the future of life on Earth, and beyond.

This event is part of Attenborough at 100: a weekend of wildlife.

Attending the event

This event will be held in Theatre 2 at the Royal Society on Saturday 4 July 2026, 2.10pm – 2.40pm.

• 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.