Since its foundation in 1799, the Royal Institution of Great Britain has aimed to inspire enthusiasm and excitement for science, as a means to understanding the world around us. The Friday Evening Discourses of the Royal Institution, initiate by Michael Faraday in 1826, are one of the most prestigious series of lectures on science in the world. During these lecture-demonstration famous scientists describe their work in language accessible to a general audience. Each year accounts of the Discourses are brought together in Proceedings . These volumes provide some of the best popular writing by active scientists. and also include topics of a less scientific nature, but still on interest to a scientific audience. The latest volume of the Proceedings covers diverse areas of contemporary and historical interest. Topics covered include the discovery of buckminsterfullerence and the advanced materials developed as a result, chess computers vs humans, the safety of nuclear power, the microcosmos and electron holography, reality modelling, and discussions on the relationship between science and politics, and the nature of science. This book is intended for scientists and non-scientists wishing to learn about the development of contemporary science and its relationship with the world at large.