Michael Foster, who helped to establish the Physiological Society 150 years ago, began the study of experimental physiology in Cambridge. While the frog nerve-muscle preparation that Foster introduced continued as a laboratory class until quite recently, other aspects of our practical teaching have evolved considerably over the years. Factors driving change have included improvements in equipment, shifting attitudes towards the use of experimental animals and health and safety considerations. The move to online teaching during the pandemic served to highlight the importance of personal interactions within the experimental laboratory. The challenges and opportunities of new technologies such as AI must be embraced as we plan the future of physiology practical teaching in Cambridge.