At some point in our lives, we'll all need medicine. Have you ever thought about where our modern medicine comes from? In this talk, you'll take a whistle-stop tour through a history that's as old as humankind - and still evolving.

Join historian and literary scholar Alanna Skuse as she explores the weird and wonderful ways that humans have treated accidents and illnesses, from magical remedies to robot surgeons, bloodletting to snake venom. Not just kings and battlefields, this is a story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

You'll find out how our prehistoric ancestors treated a headache, why Renaissance healers were smarter than you'd think, and how intrepid experimenters gave us the medicines we use today.

How To Get Your Tickets

1. Book your desired number of tickets and await an email from us confirming your order. This is NOT a ticket.

2. Present your confirmation on arrival at the venue. Ensure that you take personal ID with you or you may be turned away

Pricing Information

• For this event, there are two ticket types: Free Tickets, and Free Tickets with £5 Donation + TFG booking fee

• For Free Tickets, no further payment applies beyond the TFG booking fee

• For Free Tickets with £5 Donation + TFG booking fee, the total payment per ticket is £7.95. The full £5 donation goes straight to the Royal Institution to continue their excellent scientific education work

• Please note: Tickets for RI Members and RI Patrons retail at £7.75 on the third-party site

Additional Information

• The event organiser recommends this talk for children aged 7-13, though it can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages

• Under 13s need to be accompanied by an adult with a ticket. All attendees aged 4 years old and above need a ticket

• Doors open: 2:15pm | Event starts: 2:30pm

• Copies of Alanna Skuse'a book, 'Blood, Guts and Nasty Cuts', will be available to purchase after the talk.

• For further event information, please visit here

Accessibility Information

• Please note: We recommend, where you have specific access requirements, bookings are made directly through the event organiser, however, we are here to assist where possible. Please get in touch with us prior to booking if you have access requirements. For accessibility information, please visit here

Key Terms of Sale

• Tickets are non-refundable / non-exchangeable
• Tickets cannot be resold or transferred
• The account holder must be in attendance at the event
These are the key terms. Full terms apply and are available here