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Christmas Lectures from the Royal Institution
13 Journeys Through Space and Time: Christmas Lectures from the Royal Institution
An exploration of space and time and a journey of discovery, through 13 of the most fascinating Christmas Lectures given at the Royal Institution of Great Britain over the last 200 years.
Started at the Royal Institution (Ri) in 1825 by Michael Faraday, the Christmas Lectures have been broadcast on television since the 1960s and have formed part of the British Christmas tradition for generations. First devised to attract young people to the magic of science through spectacular demonstrations, they are now watched by millions of people around the world every year.
Drawing on the incredible archive at the Ri, which is packed full of handwritten notebooks, photographs and transcripts, this book will focus on thirteen of the most captivating lectures given at the Ri on space and time, taking a look at what we thought we knew then and what has been discovered since.
Started at the Royal Institution (Ri) in 1825 by Michael Faraday, the Christmas Lectures have been broadcast on television since the 1960s and have formed part of the British Christmas tradition for generations. First devised to attract young people to the magic of science through spectacular demonstrations, they are now watched by millions of people around the world every year.
Drawing on the incredible archive at the Ri, which is packed full of handwritten notebooks, photographs and transcripts, this book will focus on thirteen of the most captivating lectures given at the Ri on space and time, taking a look at what we thought we knew then and what has been discovered since.
225 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 3, 2016
17 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Colin Stuart
65 books26 followersColin Stuart is a renowned astronomy speaker and best-selling author. He was a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a 2014 runner-up for the European Astronomy Journalism Prize. He lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 1, 2018
A birthday present from a thoughtful friend, complete with a TARDIS bookmark! I'm reading it now as part of the Genreland challenge for January 2018 - "time travel".
I loved the RI lectures as a kid - popular science lectures delivered in the Christmas holidays to an audience of appreciative schoolchildren in the lecture theatre and on TV. My only disappointment with this is that there aren't many from my childhood - nothing between 1969 and 1977, and then until 1990. Lovely archival notes - lecture notes and other documents, or Carl Sagan getting his 5 star hotel visit paid for by the RI. I remember his series, though, and it was worth the bill I'd say.
Time travel for some of the subject matter, and also for the nostalgic "time travel" to my youth...
I loved the RI lectures as a kid - popular science lectures delivered in the Christmas holidays to an audience of appreciative schoolchildren in the lecture theatre and on TV. My only disappointment with this is that there aren't many from my childhood - nothing between 1969 and 1977, and then until 1990. Lovely archival notes - lecture notes and other documents, or Carl Sagan getting his 5 star hotel visit paid for by the RI. I remember his series, though, and it was worth the bill I'd say.
Time travel for some of the subject matter, and also for the nostalgic "time travel" to my youth...
December 24, 2022
Fascinating book going through the Royal Institution’s Christmas Lectures on the cosmos and space exploration. It has definitely shone a light on how even the brightest minds and the brightest ideas have been surpassed by innovation and science through the years. There are is definitely a sense of “if only they knew then what we know now”.
One out of thirteen lectures was from a woman, which is not unsurprising, and hopefully will be rectified in future lectures.
Definitely enjoyed the lectures from the 90s as they put a bit of focus on quantum mechanics and physics, but also really enjoyed Carl Sagan’s and Kevin Fong’s demonstrations (I’ve watched the latter lectures in 2015, it was ace).
One out of thirteen lectures was from a woman, which is not unsurprising, and hopefully will be rectified in future lectures.
Definitely enjoyed the lectures from the 90s as they put a bit of focus on quantum mechanics and physics, but also really enjoyed Carl Sagan’s and Kevin Fong’s demonstrations (I’ve watched the latter lectures in 2015, it was ace).
June 8, 2018
The book describes some of the lectures given at the Royal Institution, a tradition beginning with Michael Faraday somewhere in the early 1800s and continuing almost annually every Christmas season. The lectures, given by eminent physicists and targeted to inspire a young audience with experiments and live demonstrations, must certainly have been thrilling.
One cannot say the same about the book. The science is barely explained and the focus seems to be in giving a flavor about the people who lectured and the atmosphere rather than the fascinating topics they covered. Very unsatisfactory.
One cannot say the same about the book. The science is barely explained and the focus seems to be in giving a flavor about the people who lectured and the atmosphere rather than the fascinating topics they covered. Very unsatisfactory.
April 17, 2021
I've enjoyed watching many of the Christmas Lectures at RI and it was extremely interesting to read about some of the past ones. It's amazing how much science has advanced and I loved reading about some of the things which were accepted in the past but are now overthrown by new information.
March 27, 2022
A handsome volume containing 13 short recaps of Christmas Lectures related to space exploration, astronomy, and astrophysics. Unfortunately I'm not quite sure who the audience is meant to be. The historical context is a bit thin for an adult reader curious about how the Lectures have changed over time. The large text and often simple language might suggest it'd be an inspirational volume for kids, but it's still likely to be too dry for them. Some of the scientific explanations are also a bit too loose for younger readers: two consecutive paragraphs describe orbits as being about going high enough, or going fast enough, and while I know what the author is getting at a novice wouldn't.
I'd love a more substantial book on this subject, but as it stands this is still an interesting little light read, a very attractive object and would be a thoughtful gift.
I'd love a more substantial book on this subject, but as it stands this is still an interesting little light read, a very attractive object and would be a thoughtful gift.
July 24, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, having been a keen follower of the Christmas lectures for many years.
The history clearly set out, and the changes in perceptions of what may or may not be possible in the future are fascinating.
The book is written for a general audience, following the intentions of the lectures.
I was, however, surprised to find errors in the book that no one else seems to have noticed, or at least reported in the reviews I have read.
On page 33, where Dewar's demonstration of putting meteorite material in water, the author says 'Being largely made of iron and nickel, meteorites displace more water than most rocks you'd find on the surface of the earth'.
Iron-nickel meteorites are considerably denser than most surface rocks, and should displace less water, not more. Even the more common chondrites are denser than most surface rocks.
Then on page 77 he says that the earth's precession is caused by the gravity of the other planets.
While the planets do give a very minor contribution to the precession, it is the gravity of the sun and our moon that really cause the precession.
(Minor typo on page 79 under the Spencer Jones photo, 'orrery' is mispelt 'orrey').
As I said, I enjoyed this history of the lectures, especially the little snippets from the various lecturers' preparation notes.
The history clearly set out, and the changes in perceptions of what may or may not be possible in the future are fascinating.
The book is written for a general audience, following the intentions of the lectures.
I was, however, surprised to find errors in the book that no one else seems to have noticed, or at least reported in the reviews I have read.
On page 33, where Dewar's demonstration of putting meteorite material in water, the author says 'Being largely made of iron and nickel, meteorites displace more water than most rocks you'd find on the surface of the earth'.
Iron-nickel meteorites are considerably denser than most surface rocks, and should displace less water, not more. Even the more common chondrites are denser than most surface rocks.
Then on page 77 he says that the earth's precession is caused by the gravity of the other planets.
While the planets do give a very minor contribution to the precession, it is the gravity of the sun and our moon that really cause the precession.
(Minor typo on page 79 under the Spencer Jones photo, 'orrery' is mispelt 'orrey').
As I said, I enjoyed this history of the lectures, especially the little snippets from the various lecturers' preparation notes.
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January 5, 2024Really enjoyed this one, reading a lecture-or-so for each of the twelve days of Christmas, with my morning coffee. Lots of lovely little windows into lectures past - in particular, I loved hearing about how Carl Sagan had tea with a couple of young volunteers on the "Martian" surface.
For the final lecture by Kevin Fong, we're given the names of the various young volunteers, and this made me melancholy, because we've lost the names of their counterparts during the 19th and 20th century lectures. Just one of those many stories lost to time.
Equally, though, that makes me appreciate how the lectures themselves have survived in the printed word. I'm being taught by people who died over 100 years ago. That's magical. And magic is always most potent near midwinter.
For the final lecture by Kevin Fong, we're given the names of the various young volunteers, and this made me melancholy, because we've lost the names of their counterparts during the 19th and 20th century lectures. Just one of those many stories lost to time.
Equally, though, that makes me appreciate how the lectures themselves have survived in the printed word. I'm being taught by people who died over 100 years ago. That's magical. And magic is always most potent near midwinter.
June 20, 2018
The lectures given during Xmas. All about how our astronomy developed!!
Good for beginners.
第一章：罗伯特·斯塔威尔·鲍尔
鲍尔的讲座已经没有完整的记录保存下来了。事实上，引用的材料都出自他的著作《星—地》，以及他的圣诞讲座。
第二章：詹姆斯·杜瓦
直接引用的材料，有的出自皇家科学院为配合杜瓦的讲座制作的节目，有的来自各种报纸存档，上面有针对这场讲座直接采访他的内容。
第三章：赫伯特·霍尔·特纳
直接引用的材料取自特纳于1915年出版的著作《太空遨游》，以及该系列圣诞讲座。
第四章：詹姆斯·金斯
金斯将他的圣诞讲座整理成了一本书——《穿越空间与时间》（Through Space and Time），由剑桥大学出版社于1934年出版。本章中直接引用的内容取自该出版物。
第五章：哈罗德·斯潘塞·琼斯
在由皇家科学院当时制作的节目中，斯潘塞·琼斯的讲座已经没有记录留存了，因此所有细节都是由各种报纸的报道拼接而成的。
第六章：伯纳德·洛维耳等人
所有直接引用的内容都取自皇家科学院为本次讲座制作的官方节目。
第七章：乔治·波特
引文取自英国广播公司手写档案所保存的有关讲座的对外报道手稿。这一系列讲座被拍摄下来，但胶片下落不明。
第八章至第十三章：卡尔·萨根、马尔科姆·朗盖尔、弗兰克·克洛斯、尼尔·约翰逊、莫妮卡·格雷迪以及凯文·方
所有这些讲座都有录像视频，因此这几章直接引用的材料，都是从讲座的视频中截取的。
Good for beginners.
第一章：罗伯特·斯塔威尔·鲍尔
鲍尔的讲座已经没有完整的记录保存下来了。事实上，引用的材料都出自他的著作《星—地》，以及他的圣诞讲座。
第二章：詹姆斯·杜瓦
直接引用的材料，有的出自皇家科学院为配合杜瓦的讲座制作的节目，有的来自各种报纸存档，上面有针对这场讲座直接采访他的内容。
第三章：赫伯特·霍尔·特纳
直接引用的材料取自特纳于1915年出版的著作《太空遨游》，以及该系列圣诞讲座。
第四章：詹姆斯·金斯
金斯将他的圣诞讲座整理成了一本书——《穿越空间与时间》（Through Space and Time），由剑桥大学出版社于1934年出版。本章中直接引用的内容取自该出版物。
第五章：哈罗德·斯潘塞·琼斯
在由皇家科学院当时制作的节目中，斯潘塞·琼斯的讲座已经没有记录留存了，因此所有细节都是由各种报纸的报道拼接而成的。
第六章：伯纳德·洛维耳等人
所有直接引用的内容都取自皇家科学院为本次讲座制作的官方节目。
第七章：乔治·波特
引文取自英国广播公司手写档案所保存的有关讲座的对外报道手稿。这一系列讲座被拍摄下来，但胶片下落不明。
第八章至第十三章：卡尔·萨根、马尔科姆·朗盖尔、弗兰克·克洛斯、尼尔·约翰逊、莫妮卡·格雷迪以及凯文·方
所有这些讲座都有录像视频，因此这几章直接引用的材料，都是从讲座的视频中截取的。
February 24, 2017
Exactly what it says on the box. Swift retellings of Christmas lectures from the royal institute. Spurred my amateur interest for topics such as Gravity, Physics and the great dark beyond. Definitely not for those with higher knowledge on these topics as the oversimplification and shortening of some lectures could become frustrating. Use as a stepping stone for other more fleshed out books on whatever topics happen tickle your fancy.
October 27, 2020
This book is very good and gives a 'summary' on the Christmas lectures from 1881 to 2015. It shows how much we have came with space exploration and how much further we have to go. I think this is a good book to have a brief on previous Christmas lectures. I recommend it to people who are generally interested in space and want to find find a specific thing in space to look into more. It's slow paced and easily understandable.
December 10, 2019
What did scientist think 100 years ago? All sorts of things is the answer. It is amazing to think about how recently so many major discoveries have been made. We need to remember and value the amount of change we (and our parents) have lived through, both in terms of scientific discoveries and new technologies.
May 5, 2017
A delightful compilation of select Christmas Lectures from the RI, focusing on space and time. The series started in 1825 as one of the first steps of science communication; bridging important scientific ideas to the public. Every chapter, while travelling through the century, shows how far we've developed and built our ideas in this very important field. As Isaac Newton puts it: "standing on the shoulders of giants".
While reading through the recap of these lectures, it makes me wish I was there with the audience witnessing the demonstrations done by these prolific scientists. Science communication has become more important than ever, and the Christmas Lectures could be said to be one of the field's pioneers.
13 Journeys Through Space and Time: Christmas Lectures from the Royal Institution is a perfect afternoon read. It's not in-depth, isn't meant to be. But like the audience that sat in these lectures, introduces you to the infinite possibilities of science, space and time. I will leave you with this video of Elon Musk talking about First Principles.
While reading through the recap of these lectures, it makes me wish I was there with the audience witnessing the demonstrations done by these prolific scientists. Science communication has become more important than ever, and the Christmas Lectures could be said to be one of the field's pioneers.
13 Journeys Through Space and Time: Christmas Lectures from the Royal Institution is a perfect afternoon read. It's not in-depth, isn't meant to be. But like the audience that sat in these lectures, introduces you to the infinite possibilities of science, space and time. I will leave you with this video of Elon Musk talking about First Principles.
May 5, 2017
A lovely thing, and a great journey through the Christmas Lectures.
January 21, 2022
This was a wonderful summary of over 100 years of science and physics.
August 8, 2022
Nice summary of Christmas lectures through time (which I love to watch). Very interesting to see the development over a 100 years of human exploration and how far we've come.
September 10, 2022
I felt like I was one of those children who attended the christmas lectures, so full of awe at space 💕 The lectures were interesting, though some were a bit confusing, still a nice read.
December 27, 2023
I'm usually all about space and science and the history of past theories and discoveries, and I expected so much from this book, but the writing was just dull.
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May 10, 2024Abandoned on page 21 of 211. It’s summaries of old lectures. Boring
November 13, 2016
Really enjoyed this quick recap of nearly 200 years of Royal Institution Christmas Lecture series (this book only covers off those who spoke on space and/or time). The Christmas Lectures are such a special thing. Started in 1825 by Michael Faraday as a way of bringing science to young people in an engaging way. Apart from a couple of years during WWII they have been going strong and still happen every year. Every country should have an equivalent. The book is told is a recap style that makes sense for the early lectures that they only have newspaper reports for. Watch the videos on the RI site as a nice accompaniment.
February 6, 2017
A brief introduction into the advances of science as related to all things space, this series of lecture summaries does its job to make us want to explore more. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading one or two chapters every night for a few days, and falling asleep with dreams of the stars!
Also impressive to see how quickly science has progressed - from the speaker in the first lecture prophetising that humans will never reach the moon, to the final lecture featuring a video chat with Tim Peake on the ISS -, it's something to make us excited for what else may come.
Also impressive to see how quickly science has progressed - from the speaker in the first lecture prophetising that humans will never reach the moon, to the final lecture featuring a video chat with Tim Peake on the ISS -, it's something to make us excited for what else may come.
January 8, 2017
A swift and sweet look at a selection of the Royal Institution's Christmas Lectures. Each lecture series summary takes up some fifteen pages and, despite being aimed at children, they eloquently explain some of the most complex and important scientific theories over the 200 years the lectures span.
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December 21, 2016Interesting book, but it's not the lecture itself but somebody's summary.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews