Summer Science Exhibition 2023

Tuesday 4 - Sunday 9 July 2023

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, predicting 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.

Come and talk to more than three hundred 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. Many more talks and activities will be added to the programme as we get closer to the event.

We are delighted to launch the Exhibition on Tuesday 4 July with a welcome return of our Lates evening. 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.

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

ChromaDose: improving chemotherapy for children

Discover how new blood-testing tools can be used to personalise chemotherapy in children.

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.

See all exhibits

Talks and activities

Helen Sharman on STEM careers and space travel

Join us for a session with Helen Sharman, the first British astronaut in space.

Summer Science Exhibition Lates

Immerse yourself in an evening of space science, tasting menus and talks for over 18s.

Summer Science Live

A live streamed session from the Summer Science Exhibition floor.

See all talks and activities

Plan your visit

Accessibility

Information on accessible facilities and functionality at the Summer Science Exhibition.

Food and drink

Find out more about the refreshments available at the Exhibition.

Opening hours

Check our opening times and find out how to get to the Royal Society.

See all information for visitors

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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