Research in the laboratory or out in the field is essential, but communicating with public audiences is a vital part of being a scientist too, argues the Royal Institution’s Katherine Mathieson.
Public engagement with science ‘began’ 40 years ago with the Royal Society’s publication of the 1985 Bodmer report [1] which stated “improving the general level of public understanding of science is now an urgent task for the well-being of the country, requiring concerted action from many sections of society including, most importantly, the scientific community itself ”. The Bodmer report promoted a flourishing of the public engagement sector, from university teaching and outreach to the government funded Committee on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS).
But it’s not quite true to say this kind of activity started with the Bodmer report. Even at the beginning of the 19th century, before the gentlemanly natural philosophers had come to be known as ‘scientists’, communication was seen as a
Telling the story of your research, and why it matters, helps you build your confidence and find your voice as a scientist
The Royal Institution (Ri) has been a home for science since 1799 and bears traces from the many scientists who have lived, worked and visited. One of those was the chemist Humphry Davy whose public lectures at the Ri in the early 19th century were groundbreaking in both scientific content and popular appeal. Davy’s lectures were not dry academic presentations – they were theatrical experiences with spectacular, often explosive, demonstrations. And they attracted a wide and diverse audience, including aristocrats, politicians and artists, along with the general public as a result.
As many modern-day scientists know, figuring out how to describe your research clearly to a lay audience deepens your own understanding of it.
This is why trainee surgeons, for example, traditionally ‘see one, do one, teach one’ when learning surgical procedures.
In 1821, Michael Faraday developed an experimental demonstration to show a public audience the implications of another researcher’s work: Hans Christian Ørsted’s discovery that an electric current could deflect a magnetic needle. Faraday’s elegant demonstration suspended a wire in a cup of mercury with a magnet at its base and applied an electric current through the wire, causing the wire to rotate clockwise – the first-time movement had been deliberately induced by an electromagnetic field, and the basis for the electric motor.
We have Faraday’s electric motor – the world’s first – on display in his laboratory here at the Ri, as a symbol of the importance of demonstration lectures. It’s particularly apt this year, 2025, as we are marking 200 years since Faraday began the Ri’s ‘Friday Evening Discourses’ in which the latest theories and discoveries have been – and continue to be – unveiled to public audiences in our theatre.
This year is also the 200th anniversary since Faraday began the Royal Institution’s annual Christmas Lectures. His aim was to make science accessible, engaging and Credit: Shutterstock (Agenturfotografin) inspiring – especially for children and young people, which was pioneering at a time before access to formal education was common. As someone who had himself been inspired by the showmanship and spectacle of Davy’s public talks, Faraday believed passionately that science should be shared widely, and the Christmas Lectures have been held annually (with a couple of interruptions) ever since.
The lectures have changed many times to reflect scientific breakthroughs and new technologies, such as TV and the internet. Yet at their heart, their aim is still as it was in 1825: to ignite curiosity, celebrate discovery and showcase the joy and wonder of science in action. For generations of scientists, watching the Christmas Lectures with their families provided the first spark of inspiration that led them on to their own lifetime of joy and wonder with science.
This year’s lecturer, Maggie Aderin-Pocock, will pick up the baton, using space to inspire families and young people across the UK and abroad as she explores the latest astronom y research and the technologies that are making these discoveries possible.
Physiology researcher and Christmas Lecturer (1998: Staying Alive) professor Dame Nancy Rothwell once said to me that the Christmas Lectures were the hardest thing she’d ever done, and also the best thing she’d ever done. Being able to distil complex ideas and technical details into a clear and compelling talk is a skillset that is increasingly vital to researchers’ careers, from writing grant proposals and presenting at conferences, to teaching students and influencing policymakers.
Giving public talks helps you learn how to read the room and adapt to your audience. Perhaps most importantly, telling the story of your research, and why it matters, helps you build your confidence and find your voice as a scientist.
Explaining your research to non-specialists forces you to strip away jargon and rediscover the core ideas that make your field fascinating
For many researchers, the daily grind of experiments, grant writing and paper revisions can dim the initial excitement that drew them to science. But stepping into a room full of curious minds – especially young ones – can reignite that spark. Giving science talks to the public and youth audiences offers a unique opportunity to reconnect with the wonder and purpose of your work.
Explaining your research to non-specialists forces you to strip away jargon and rediscover the core ideas that make your field fascinating. Questions from young audiences often reveal fresh perspectives or challenge assumptions, reminding you why your work matters. The enthusiasm and curiosity you encounter can be contagious, turning routine findings into moments of rediscovery. Many researchers report that these interactions not only boost their communication skills but also renew their sense of purpose and creativity in the lab.
For all these reasons – the deeper knowledge, the polished speaking skills, the joy of sharing science with others – communicating with public audiences is a vital element of what it means to be a scientist. It has been so for 200 years and will remain so for the next 200 years.
References:
1 https://royalsociety. org/-/media/policy/ publications/1985/ 10700.pdf
Katherine Mathieson is director of the Royal Institution
