When you purchase through connection on our web site , we may earn an affiliate charge . Here ’s how it works .

For many skill - loving kids in the U.K. , at this time of year the only thing that can compare to the excitement of Santa ’s arrival is the annualRoyal Institution Christmas Lectures . If you ’ve not hear of this spectacular showcase of skill , it is an iconic result that has taken spot each class at London ’s Royal Institution since 1825 .

Initiated by English physicist Michael Faraday to showcase the wonders of science to nipper at a time when organize breeding was scarce , every year play up a dissimilar topic . Previous Christmas lecturing have introduced budding scientists to concepts such as natural doctrine , the rudiment of astronomy and the chemical substance chronicle of a candle .

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures host Michael Wooldridge with a robot

Mike Wooldridge is a professor of artificial intelligence at the University of Oxford and the host of this year’s Ri Christmas Lectures.

Time : 8 p.m U.K / 3 p.m ET / 12 p.m PT

Channel : BBC Four , BBC iPlayer

How to use a VPN to find out any stream

Image

Michael Wooldridge

Since 1966 , multitude have been capable to watch these delightful display on television , include David Attenborough explain the oral communication of animals , Carl Sagan explore the planets and Richard Dawkins introduce the phylogenesis of life in the creation .

This year ’s subject could not be more relevant to our times , with a talking to called " The Truth about AI , " present byMike Wooldridge , a professor ofartificial intelligenceat the University of Oxford .

Wooldridge will explore how this ground - breaking engineering science work , how AI can be school to wager game , and he will address one of the most pressing questions of our time — can artificial news ever truly be like us , or are we alone ?

ExpressVPN

The show airs at 3 p.m. ET on Dec. 26 , 27 and 28 and will be useable for free on BBC iPlayer . If you have a TV Licence and are out of the area , you canwatch the Ri Christmas Lectures from anywhere in the humankind with a virtual private web ( VPN ) .

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures preview

If you ca n’t wait to see what ’s in store , here ’s Michael Wooldridge explaining the AI behind auto - translate apps that you practice on your equipment .

How to watch the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in the U.S.

The Ri Christmas Lectures premiere on BBC Four at 8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET on Tuesday ( Dec. 26 ) and will continue on Wednesday and Thursday at the same times .

If you just ca n’t hold off a daylight to see the next show , you could watch all of them on BBC iPlayer on Dec. 26 , where you could also catch up on previous Christmas lectures .

BBC One and iPlayer are free to watch for those with a TV Licence , but if you ’re trying to access iPlayer while outside the U.K. , you will need a VPN . Our favorite isExpressVPN , which is thebest VPNin the world right now according to our sister site , TechRadar .

Michael Wooldridge in the Royal Institution Christmas lecture theater

Michael Wooldridge

Outside of the U.K. or for those without a TV Licence , the lecture will be available on theRoyal Institution YouTube channelat from Dec. 29 .   you’re able to also get the rest of the Ri ’s contentedness there , so plenty to choose from away from AI .

How to watch the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures from anywhere in the world with a VPN

you’re able to view the Ri Christmas Lectures wherever you are in the reality by using a VPN . Normally streaming military service will immobilize you if you are adjudicate to login from a country where they are not sustain , but a VPN will cover your location and make it seem like you are in the right country to get to the content , opening up the whole platform to you .

— Download the app at ExpressVPN

— opt the location of the streaming service you want to watch ( U.K. , U.S. , etc )

a photo of an eye looking through a keyhole

— Navigate to the cyclosis table service and start observe !

ExpressVPNis one of the simplest and most affordable ways to follow what you want from anywhere you want to see it .

It ’s straightforward and easy to habituate , has great protection , is available on rafts of streaming gimmick and , in effect of all , it come with a 30 - day money - back guaranty , so you’re able to judge it out 100 % risk - free .

a tiger looks through a large animal�s ribcage

Who is Michael Wooldridge?

This year ’s reader is Mike Wooldridge , an expert in AI who has written multiple books on the subject , including the " Artificial Intelligence Everything you need to know about the coming AI " ( Penguin , 2018 ) and " The Road to Conscious Machines " ( Pelican , 2020 ) .

He is a prof of AI at the University of Oxford and the director of AI at the Alan Turing Institute in London . During his life history he has gain ground multiple laurels for both inquiry and instruction , include the Lovelace Medal , the run laurels for a U.K. figurer scientist , and the Outstanding Educator honor from the Association for the Advancement of AI ( AAAI ) .

What is the Royal Institution?

The Royal Institution of Great Britain was founded in 1799 . Its basal intent was originally to innovate new technologies to the world and teach skill through lectures and demonstrations . The first lecture was delivered in 1800 by the RI ’s first professor of chemistry , Thomas Garnett . Other notable alumni admit Michael Faraday , Ernest Rutherford and Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin .

Now , the RI ’s good-hearted purpose is " to bring the populace and scientists together to share their involvement and passion for science , " creating space for the scientist and the populace to explore science together .

' Murder prognostication ' algorithms resound some of Stalin ’s most horrific policies — government are treading a very dangerous assembly line in pursue them

a photo of burgers and fries next to vegetables

US Air Force wants to acquire smart mini - drones powered by brain - inspired AI chipping

The unremitting surveillance of modern life could exacerbate our mind function in ways we do n’t in full understand , disturbing field of study propose

An artist�s illustration of a satellite crashing back to Earth.

a photo of a group of people at a cocktail party

A photo of the Large Hadron Collider�s ALICE detector.

An illustration of a satellite crashing into the ocean after an uncontrolled reentry through Earth�s atmosphere

A photograph of downtown Houston, Texas, taken from a drone at sunset.

an older woman taking a selfie

A photo of an Indian woman looking in the mirror