Royal Society of London Michael Faraday Prize facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Royal Society of London Michael Faraday Medal & Prize |
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|---|---|
| Location | London |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
The Royal Society of London Michael Faraday Prize is a special award. It celebrates people who are great at explaining science to audiences in the UK. The prize is named after Michael Faraday, a famous scientist. Winners receive a silver-gilt medal and £2500.
About the Prize
The Michael Faraday Prize was first given out in 1986. The very first winner was Charles Taylor. He won for his amazing way of teaching physics to everyone. This included children as young as six years old!
The prize is given out every year. It is different from some other awards because it has been presented every single year since it started. The person who wins the prize must give a public lecture. This lecture is usually held in January of the next year. During this lecture, the President of the Royal Society gives the winner their medal.
Who Has Won the Prize?
Many talented people have won the Michael Faraday Prize. They are all excellent at sharing their love of science. Here is a list of some of the winners and why they were chosen:
| Year | Name | Why They Won |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Charles Taylor | For his great presentations of physics to all ages. |
| 1987 | Peter Medawar | For his books that showed the human side of science. |
| 1988 | Erik Christopher Zeeman | For helping more people understand mathematics. |
| 1989 | Colin Blakemore | For explaining the science of the brain clearly. |
| 1990 | Richard Dawkins | For his imaginative and popular science explanations. |
| 1991 | George Porter | For his many talks and broadcasts about science. |
| 1992 | Richard Gregory | For his popular books, talks, and science center. |
| 1993 | Ian Fells | For his articles, lectures, and TV/radio work. |
| 1994 | Walter Bodmer | For showing how important public understanding of science is. |
| 1995 | Ian Stewart | For explaining math ideas through books and talks. |
| 1996 | Steve Jones | For his many ways of sharing science, like TV and books. |
| 1997 | David Phillips | For teaching science to young people with energy and fun. |
| 1998 | Susan Greenfield | For explaining how the brain works to many audiences. |
| 1999 | Robert Winston | For explaining human fertility clearly, especially on TV. |
| 2000 | Lewis Wolpert | For his big efforts to help people understand science. |
| 2001 | Harold Kroto | For creating the Vega Science Trust to share science films. |
| 2002 | Paul Davies | For his lecture on The origin of life. |
| 2003 | David Attenborough | For his lecture on Perception, deception and reality. |
| 2004 | Martin Rees | For his lecture on Einstein's legacy as scientist and icon. |
| 2005 | Fran Balkwill | For her lecture on A silent killer. |
| 2006 | Richard Fortey | For his lecture on A natural history of scientists. |
| 2007 | Jim Al-Khalili | For his lecture on The House of Wisdom and the legacy of Arabic science. |
| 2008 | John D. Barrow | For his lecture on Every picture tells a story. |
| 2009 | Marcus du Sautoy | For his lecture on The secret mathematicians. |
| 2010 | Jocelyn Bell-Burnell | For her lecture on The end of the world in 2012? Science communication and science scares. |
| 2011 | Colin Pillinger | For his lecture on Stones From the Sky: A Heaven-sent Opportunity to Talk About Science. |
| 2012 | Brian Cox | For his excellent work in science communication. |
| 2013 | Frank Close | For his excellent work in science communication. |
| 2014 | Andrea Sella | For his excellent work in science communication. |
| 2015 | Katherine Willis | For her excellent work in science communication. |
| 2016 | Nick Lane | For his excellent work in science communication. |
| 2017 | Mark Miodownik | For his excellence in communicating science to UK audiences. |
| 2018 | Danielle George | For inspiring young people in science and engineering. |
| 2019 | Martyn Poliakoff | For promoting chemistry on YouTube for all ages. |
| 2020 | David Spiegelhalter | For explaining statistics and probability clearly, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| 2021 | Sophie Scott | For engaging the public with neuroscience through many events. |
| 2022 | Monica Grady | For her work in planetary science and encouraging young women in STEM. |
| 2023 | Anil Seth | For inspiring people about the brain and what it means to be human. |
