Royal Institution Public Talk - On the arrow of time: Shaping our Universe

Royal Institution Public Talk - On the arrow of time: Shaping our Universe

Monday 25th September 2023 from 19:00pm to 20:30pm

The Royal Institution
21 Albermarle Street, London, London, W1S 4BS

Join distinguished physicist David Jamieson as he reveals his insight into the arrow of time.

One of the most enigmatic concepts of our Universe, it suggests that time is unidirectional and points from the past into the future. However, this outlook has puzzled scientists for centuries and has been the fuel for many a fierce debate.

In this talk, David will explore the often-misunderstood concept of entropy and the second law of thermodynamics that distinguishes the past from the future. He will shed light on how these fundamental principles connect the laws of physics to the laws of probability and help you discover how we can locally create order from disorder – in apparent defiance of the second law.

He will demonstrate how the orderly process of life exploits the flow of energy from the Sun through the Earth and the dissipation of waste heat into the cold of deep space and why you cannot charge your phone from a bathtub full of hot water.

Through a thought-provoking and engaging discussion, David will provide new insights into the nature of the arrow of time and its role in shaping the Universe.

Note to readers: Go Stargazing is proud to support The Royal Institution by featuring their astronomy-related talks on our website. We recommend visiting their website to learn more about their other fascinating range of presentations.

Please note that this has already taken place on 25/09/2023

Event booking

For more details, including how to book, please see The Royal Institution website.

Visit event website

Event darkness

The Moon has a big impact on the visibility of celestial bodies in the night sky. Try to plan your stargazing when there is no bright Moon at night as this is when the skies will be at their darkest.

The below chart shows if and when the skies will be at their darkest during this event. Moonlight is shown in light yellow and the Sun's twilight in light blue. Midnight on the date shown is shown as a white line with sunset to the left and sunrise the next morning to the right. A black background with stars shows the best times for stargazing.



Stay and gaze nearby

Stay at one of these stargazing-friendly accommodation providers.

No locations found