Jim Al-Khalili to explore mysteries of time in 2026 Christmas Lectures
Theoretical physicist, author and broadcaster Professor Jim Al-Khalili will explore the science of time in this year's Christmas Lectures from the Royal Institution.
Marking 90 years since the Lectures became the first science programme broadcast on UK national television, Al-Khalili will investigate questions including whether time has a direction, whether the future is already mapped out and whether time travel to the past is possible.
Across three lectures, he will also examine why there may be no such thing as ‘now’, why our heads age faster than our feet, the challenges of measuring time on the Moon and how humans and other animals perceive time.
Specialist guests are expected to include scientists working with atomic clocks capable of measuring time to an accuracy of trillionths of a second, as well as researchers using telescopes to observe the early universe. Experts in psychology and zoology will also contribute to the exploration of biological and behavioural perceptions of time.
“Time stands still for no one – but what exactly is time?” said Al-Khalili. “These are questions that have fascinated and challenged scientists and philosophers for thousands of years, and continue to do so.”
Established by Michael Faraday in 1825, the Christmas Lectures were first broadcast by the BBC in 1936, making them the first science programme shown on UK national television. They have been broadcast annually since 1966.
The 2026 lectures will be co-produced by the Royal Institution and Windfall Films for BBC Four and BBC iPlayer, with the broadcasts scheduled for late December.
Laboratory News will again feature an interview with the Christmas Lecturer in its December issue. Pic: Towfiqu Barbhuiya
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