Ri Science Podcast

The science of consciousness is a complex and constantly evolving field of research. Neuroscientists are still understanding how it originates in humans, but the question now arises of whether Artificial Intelligence could ever become conscious. Cognitive and computational neuroscientist Anil Seth discusses the current theories for consciousness, and the probability of AI ever becoming conscious, in his essay 'the mythology of conscious AI' which won him the 2025 Berggruen Prize Essay Competition.   Read Anil's winning essay here. Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! Book tickets to upcoming talks on our website Subscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok  Producer and presenter: Lia HaleAssistant producer: Georgina Gonzalez and Freddie Rodgers Music: Joseph Sandy   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's From the Lab episode, we discover the power of sound waves and how they can manipulate small objects with engineer Sriram Subramanian, ahead of his Discourse at the end of March. Sriram explains the science behind acoustic holography and levitation, and how we could see these concepts in practice in industries ranging from gaming to medicine.About 'From the Lab':This is the third of our new 'From the Lab' series, taking the place of our 'From the Theatre' episodes. UCL are celebrating their 200th anniversary in 2026, and we've collaborated with them to host UCL researchers as our Discourse speakers throughout 2026. As part of this collaboration, we'll be bringing you episodes with each of these speakers two weeks before their Discourses to explore their research topics further and give you a sneak peek of what's to come in their Discourse.Buy tickets to Sriram's Discourse on Friday 27 March on our website.Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! Book tickets for upcoming talksSubscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok Producer and presenter: Lia HaleMusic: Joseph Sandy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can ancient DNA help us understand how diseases spread? This month, geneticist and pathogen genomics expert Pooja Swali explains how samples of DNA from the past can reveal how diseases have spread across the world over time. We explore the what, where, how, and why of ancient DNA research, and what doors these questions have opened for the future of the field. Pooja has worked extensively on Yersinia pestis, the bacteria responsible for plague, and uncovered the existence of plague thousands of years earlier than previously anticipated. Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and our new ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! Book tickets to upcoming talks on our website Subscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok  Producer and presenter: Lia HaleMusic: Joseph Sandy   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Planets outside of our solar system can unlock an abundance of secrets about our Universe. But how do we study them? Astrophysicist Jonathan Tennyson discusses his own research into exoplanets, and how researchers can use the stars to learn more about planets.About 'From the Lab':This is the second of our new 'From the Lab' series, taking the place of our 'From the Theatre' episodes. UCL are celebrating their 200th anniversary in 2026, and we've collaborated with them to host UCL researchers as our Discourse speakers throughout 2026. As part of this collaboration, we'll be bringing you episodes with each of these speakers two weeks before their Discourses to explore their research topics further and give you a sneak peek of what's to come in their Discourse.Buy tickets to Jonathan's Discourse on Friday 27 February on our website.Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and 'From the Lab' episodes are released on the second or third Friday of the month (two weeks before their respective Discourse). Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! Book tickets to upcoming talks on our website Subscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok Producer and presenter: Lia HaleAssistant producer: Freddie RodgersMusic: Joseph Sandy  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alzheimer’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the excessive build-up of proteins in the brain. Neuroscientist Tomi Akingbade joins us this month to explain how inflammation could be playing a role in the progression of Alzheimer’s, and what this could mean for future research. Tomi is also the founder of the Black Women in Science (BWiS) network, and discusses the profound impact it’s had on herself and the community around her since she started the network. Discover more about the BWiS networkFollow BWiS on Instagram Ri Science Podcast episodes are released on the last Wednesday of every month, and ‘From the Theatre’ episodes are released on the second Wednesday of the month. Subscribe to be notified as soon as the next episode is released! Book tickets to upcoming talks on our website Subscribe to our YouTube channel Follow us: @ri_science on Instagram and TikTok Producer and presenter: Lia Hale Music: Joseph Sandy  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.