Making space for awe and wonder with Katherine Mathieson (Episode 82) – Championing science communication for its own sake as Director of the historic Royal Institution
For this episode of the Research Adjacent podcast Sarah‘s guest is Katherine Mathieson.
Katherine is the Director of The Royal Institution in London. The Royal Institution is the birthplace of science communication. It was founded in 1799 to ‘introduce new technologies and teach science to the general public through lectures and demonstrations’. It is home to the iconic Christmas Lectures which celebrate their 200th year in 2025.
Sarah and Katherine talk about
- Why The Royal Institution means different things to different people
- The iconic Christmas Lectures
- How a phone-in science hotline kick started her career in science communication
- Making space for awe and wonder, and why that might help tackle the anti-science narrative
Timestamps
- 00:00 Episode Teasers
- 00:39 Introduction with Sarah McLusky
- 02:56 Katherine Mathieson and her role as Director of The RI
- 08:09 The History of The Royal Institution
- 11:42 The Iconic Christmas Lectures
- 17:33 Katherine’s Career Journey
- 24:37 Current Challenges in Science Communication
- 32:39 Final Thoughts and contact information
Find out more
- Connect with Katherine on LinkedIn or BlueSky
- Find out more about The Royal Institution and its history
- Check if you can watch the Christmas Lectures recording livestream near you
Theme music by Lemon Music Studios from Pixabay
