On Friday 30 October, Dr Ian Goldin was invited to give the prestigious 'Friday Evening Discourse' at the Royal Institution. First introduced in 1826, Friday Evening Discourses are formal events in which leading academics are invited to share innovative scientific advances with members of the Royal Institution.
Dr Goldin's lecture, "Humanity at the crossroads: 21st century risks and opportunities" drew on the work of 21st Century School researchers to address the implications of current technological and societal change for individuals, business and public policy. Discussion touched on topics including demographic trends, finance, systemic risk and advances in, biotechnology, nano-technology computing and medicine.
Many illustrious speakers have shared their discoveries in this forum; the invention of photography, the beginnings of field theory and the existence of the fundamental particle later called the electron were all first announced at a Friday Evening Discourse.
A video of this event is available here.