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The Ri is an independent charity that inspires everyone to think more deeply about science and its place in our lives. Home of the #XmasLectures 🌍
Sep 22, 2023 7 tweets 2 min read
Michael Faraday was born on this day in 1791🎉

To celebrate his birthday, we thought we'd share a few facts about this incredible scientist and the story of how he came to join the Ri. A statue of Michael Faraday with his famous electro-magnetic induction ring in one hand, while his other hand is raised as if he is in the midst of explaining it. The statue stands imposingly at the foot of the institution's main staircase Faraday came from humble beginnings. He was born just across the river, in what is today's Elephant & Castle.

The son of a blacksmith, he received the most basic school education, teaching himself many of the things that his schooling did not.
Jan 27, 2023 5 tweets 3 min read
What links human colour perception with the fact that gorillas don’t need to shave?🪒

Unlike many other hairy species, primate fur typically doesn’t cover the face. Why not?

Learn how primates display emotions in this #thread 👇 For primates, the face is a vital part of communication and expression of their emotional state.

Accordingly, they have the most complex, intricate facial expressions of all mammals.
Jan 22, 2023 8 tweets 4 min read
Today is the Lunar New Year, welcoming the #YearOfTheRabbit!

Hare are seven fun facts about the most popular animal of 2023. 🐇 #Thread A rabbit popping through a round hole in a white panel. Hare vs rabbit. What's the difference? Though they share a taxonomic family (Leporida), they are different species—kind of like sheep and goats are similar but not the same.

Hares are larger compared to rabbits, have longer ears and hind legs, and are less social. A hare in a field of grass. It has a long head and very largA brown rabbit. It has a small face and much smaller ears co
Jan 28, 2020 28 tweets 9 min read
Morning Twitter! I'm @HefferNaomi, Ri Digital Intern and PhD student @UniofBath where I study multisensory perception 👁️👂
I'm taking over @Ri_Science this morning to talk about the power of biological motion #perception #emotion #psychology #neuroscience Motion is an extremely powerful social signal that we use to attribute intentions to others. From the still image we see only simple shapes, but by adding motion, we automatically start attributing emotions and purposes to the ‘characters’.
Nov 15, 2019 14 tweets 16 min read
Morning Twitter! I'm Magda Marečková, Ri Digital Intern and PhD student @UniofOxford @Ox_wrh where I study the endometrium cell-by-cell 🔬

I'm taking over @Ri_Science this morning to talk about endometriosis #endometriosisawareness

A thread (1/14)⬇️ @UniofOxford @Ox_wrh Imagine you would suffer from pain that feels like razor blades inside your abdomen. It feels like being cut and burnt from within
Oct 25, 2019 19 tweets 8 min read
"Gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen's lives and minds than all the doctors in the empire" – why did Winston Churchill say this?

G&T was born as Europeans invaded countries across the world and were exposed to malaria – let’s explore its dark history and the chemistry behind Gin, originally used as a herbal medicine can be traced back to Middle-ages. In the UK, gin became popular in 17th century when the Dutch/Belgian drink Jenever was introduced and adopted