All exhibits

Tuesday 2 - Sunday 7 July 2024 | 6 - 9 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG

With 14 flagship exhibits and a special Young Researcher Zone exhibit exploring the very latest advances in science and access to over three hundred scientists, the Summer Science Exhibition offers a unique opportunity to explore the science shaping our future with the people making it happen.

Find out more about the exhibitors' research in the links below.

Find out more about the exhibits

We are fascinated by the ghost-like particles called neutrinos which are absolutely everywhere but we rarely see them! They come in three 'flavours' and can even ‘oscillate’, changing into a different flavour. We capture and study these mysterious particles to learn more about the nature of our Universe.

The ocean dominates Earth’s climate. It stores 90% of the heat trapped by global warming, but its future fate is uncertain. The AtlantiS Partnership is the cutting edge of UK and international ocean sciences, leveraging innovation to deliver unique datasets and understanding of the societal implications of a changing ocean.

Vaccinations can prevent infectious diseases. Antibodies and distinct immune cell types rise and decline at different speeds following the first vaccination. If and when additional shots are required to prolong protection by boosting immunity are critical questions of broad public interest, particularly for new vaccines. Our research addresses these issues.

How fast will the Antarctic ice sheet change in the future? Our new research is providing some of the best evidence that parts of the Antarctic ice sheet reached a “tipping point” in the past and thus we are at increased risk of crossing another in the future.

To solve big societal challenges – from increasing computing power to energy harnessing – we need advanced materials designed with nanoscale precision and accuracy. Our research looks at the creation of such materials by controlled deposition and doping of single atoms, then using powerful techniques to understand their effects.

Our research is mission-driven: we work towards making energy storage materials more sustainable, from choosing renewable building blocks, such as biomass and plastic waste or industry by-products, to advancing storage technologies alternative to lithium ion-batteries.

We use stem cell-based embryo models to study the early stages of human development, raising several questions including: what does a human embryo look like at 2-to-8-weeks-old, what are stem cells, what we can learn from embryo models, and how should such models be regulated?

The James Webb Space Telescope is our most advanced window to the Universe. Its unprecedented resolution and sensitivity is now revolutionising our view of the cosmos; providing new insights into our own Solar System, probing the atmospheres of extrasolar planets, and discovering the most distant galaxies in the Universe.

Humans have unique abilities, and we often investigate ourselves in isolation from the rest of the animal kingdom. My research explores how we became (and become) upright, walking, talking, tool-using great apes that we are today -through evolution and development, creating a bridge between us and the natural world.

We focus on emerging ethical concerns, data privacy, and social implications of the imminent future of living with personal brain scanners, as wearable tech that you can now buy for less than the price of a mobile phone.

Mines often have a negative impact on biodiversity and environments. However, the mining industry delivers metals critical for the energy transition to limit climate change. Our project Bio+Mine applies a holistic approach across biodiversity, geology, water and social sciences to inform rehabilitation measures together with local communities in the Philippines.

Dark matter makes up 85% of our universe, but scientists do not know what it is made of. We are using quantum technologies at ultra-cold temperatures to build the most sensitive detectors to date in order to observe dark matter directly and solve one of the greatest mysteries in science.

Our lives are flooded with light, but its wonders are more amazing than you could imagine. At the Summer Exhibition we will twist light into a burst of colours, and levitate tiny objects with brilliant green laser beams.

We are harnessing short wavelength deep ultraviolet light that can kill bacteria but does not harm human tissue. We want to be able to deliver this light non-invasively to specific areas of the body using an economical and compact light source that can be used readily in medical practice.

The Young Researcher Zone, open from Wednesday 3 - Friday 5 July, showcases investigative work being undertaken by school students across the UK as part of the Royal Society’s Partnership Grants scheme. Visit the zone to speak with the students about their work and try the exciting interactive activities they have created.

The Partnership Grants scheme funds schools up to £3000 to run investigative STEM projects in partnership with STEM professionals from academia or industry. To find out more visit the Royal Society website or email the Schools Engagement team at education@royalsociety.org.