Summer Science Exhibition 2023

Catch up on our livestreamed session, direct from the Summer Science Exhibition floor

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The Royal Society’s annual Summer Science Exhibition offers a free interactive experience for anyone curious about the latest advances in science and technology. This year, visitors can get hands-on with drumming to improve their brain plasticity, forecasting the next eruption of a quiet volcano, operating on the human eye using micro-surgical robotics in virtual reality, or exploring how Raman spectroscopy can detect both bone diseases and life on Mars. Find out more about the exhibitors' research.

Download the full programme for the 2023 Summer Science Exhibition (PDF).

Come and talk to more than 300 scientists over six days about their exciting research. With plenty of activities and events to discover, this year's Summer Science Exhibition has something for everyone.

If you cannot visit us, we will be curating digital content, including livestream demonstrations and interviews so you can still experience the buzz of the exhibition floor.

During the week visit the Young Researcher Zone to meet the school students researching how exams affect their sleeping patterns or what a net-zero primary school could look like. Or schedule a visit at the weekend to meet the National Geographic Explorers studying walruses in the Arctic. With a series of exciting experiments and hands-on demonstrations, inquisitive young minds can experiment, explore and play in the Kids' zone (Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 July).

School group booking in 2023 will be suitable for STEM students aged 14+ at GCSE and A-level or equivalent who actively wish to pursue a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). All school groups should book in advance. Please visit the schools booking page to find out more.

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Exhibits

Drumming for health

Pick up a workout with the sticks and see how you can drum your way to a healthier life.

Virtual audio: illusion or reality?

Have your own head scanned and see how virtual audio can help sensory impairments.

Sensing volcanoes

Use your sensory and decision-making skills to forecast and plan for volcanic eruptions.

See all exhibits

History of the Summer Science Exhibition

For over three decades the Royal Society has opened the doors to its building in central London (6-9 Carlton House Terrace) and welcomed thousands of visitors to meet the researchers behind some of the leading science in the UK. As the oldest science festival in the UK, the Summer Science Exhibition is a member of the UK Science Festival Network.

Up to 300 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.

Explore our previous Summer Science Exhibitions: 2018, 2019, 2020 (online), 2021 (online), and 2022 (in person).

An historical conversazione at the Royal Society

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