Editing Royal Institution (section)

{{other uses}}
{{Short description|Organisation for scientific research and education based in Westminster, UK}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox institute
| name = Royal Institution
| image = Royal Institution Shepherd TH.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| image_upright = 
| image_alt = 
| caption = The Royal Institution building on [[Albemarle Street|Albemarle&nbsp;Street]], London, {{circa|1838}}
| latin_name = 
| other_name = 
| motto = 
| mottoeng = 
| parent = 
| founder = 
| established = {{start date|1799}}
| mission = 
| focus = 
| president = 
| chairman = 
| head_label = 
| head = 
| faculty = 
| adjunct_faculty = 
| staff = 
| key_people = 
| budget = 
| endowment = 
| debt = 
| num_members = 
| subsidiaries = 
| owner = 
| slogan = 
| former_name = 
| address = 
| location = 
| city = 
| state = 
| province = 
| country = 
| coordinates = <!-- or |coor= -->
| website = {{official URL}}
| dissolved = 
| footnotes = 
}}
The '''Royal Institution of Great Britain''' (often the '''Royal Institution''', {{small|abbreviated}} '''Ri''' or '''RI''') is an organisation for scientific education and research, based in the [[City of Westminster]]. It was founded in 1799 by the leading British scientists of the age, including [[Henry Cavendish]] and its first president, [[George Finch, 9th Earl of Winchilsea|George Finch]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Caroe|first=Gwendy|title=The Royal Institution : an informal history|year=1985|publisher=J. Murray|location=London|isbn=0719542456}}</ref> Its foundational principles were diffusing the knowledge of, and facilitating the general introduction of useful mechanical inventions and improvements, as well as enhancing the application of science to the common purposes of life (including through teaching, courses of philosophical lectures, and experiments).<ref name=timeline>{{cite web|title=Guides to the Royal Institution of Great Britain: 1 HISTORY|url=http://www.rigb.org/docs/brief_history_of_ri_1.pdf|access-date=15 February 2014|archive-date=10 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410070006/http://rigb.org/docs/brief_history_of_ri_1.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> 
 
[[File:Henry Jamyn Brooks - A Friday Evening Discourse at the Royal Institution; Sir James Dewar on Liquid Hydrogen, 1904.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|''A Friday Evening Discourse at the Royal Institution; Sir James Dewar on Liquid Hydrogen'' by [[Henry Jamyn Brooks]], 1904]]Much of the Institution's initial funding and the initial proposal for its founding were given by the Society for Bettering the Conditions and Improving the Comforts of the Poor, under the guidance of philanthropist [[Sir Thomas Bernard, 3rd Baronet|Sir Thomas Bernard]] and American-born British scientist Sir [[Benjamin Thompson]], Count Rumford. Since its founding it has been based at 21 [[Albemarle Street]] in [[Mayfair]]. Its [[Royal Charter]] was granted in 1800.