Michael Faraday Prize
Encyclopedia
Michael Faraday
Michael Faraday, FRS was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry....
, the medal itself is made of silver gilt, and is accompanied by a purse of £2500. The prize was first awarded in 1986 to Charles Taylor for "his outstanding presentations of physics and applications of physics, aimed at audiences from six-year-old primary school children to adults", and has since been awarded 22 times. It is awarded annually and unlike other Royal Society awards such as the Hughes Medal
Hughes Medal
The Hughes Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of London "in recognition of an original discovery in the physical sciences, particularly electricity and magnetism or their applications". Named after David E. Hughes, the medal is awarded with a gift of £1000. The medal was first awarded in 1902 to...
, it has been presented every year since its inception. The most recent recipient was John D. Barrow
John D. Barrow
-External links:****** The Forum-Publications available on the Internet:************...
. The winner is required to present a lecture as part of the Society's annual programme of public events, which is usually held in January of the following year; during the lecture, the President of the Royal Society awards the medal. Unlike other prizes awarded by the society, the committee has not always publicly provided a rationale. This has occurred five times—in 2004 to Martin Rees, in 2006 to Richard Fortey
Richard Fortey
Richard A. Fortey FRS is a British palaeontologist and writer.-Career:Richard Fortey studied geology at the University of Cambridge and had a long career as a palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum in London. Prof. Fortey’s research interests include, above all, trilobites...
, in 2007 to Jim Al-Khalili
Jim Al-Khalili
Jim Al-Khalili OBE is an Iraqi-born British theoretical physicist, author and science communicator. He is Professor of Theoretical Physics and Chair in the Public Engagement in Science at the University of Surrey...
, in 2008 to John D. Barrow
John D. Barrow
-External links:****** The Forum-Publications available on the Internet:************...
and most recently in 2009 to Marcus du Sautoy
Marcus du Sautoy
Marcus Peter Francis du Sautoy OBE is the Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford. Formerly a Fellow of All Souls College, and Wadham College, he is now a Fellow of New College...
.
List of recipients
| Year | Name | Citation / Lecture Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | "for his outstanding presentations of physics and applications of physics, aimed at audiences from six-year-old primary school children to adults" | ||
| 1987 |
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|1988 || || "for the contributions he has made to the popularization of mathematics" ||align=center|
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|1989 || || "for his written, broadcast and public presentations on the science of the brain, which are superbly crafted for lay and expert audiences alike" ||align=center|
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|1990 || || "for his written, broadcast and public presentations which are accessible, imaginative and enjoyed by large audiences" ||align=center|
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|1991 || || "in recognition of his outstanding contribution to improving the public understanding of science through his many public lectures and broadcasts, his directorship of the Royal Institution and presidencies of the Royal Society and British Association and his seminal role in the establishment and leadership of COPUS
Committee on the Public Understanding of Science
The Committee on the Public Understanding of Science or Copus was founded in 1985 by the British Association for the Advancement of Science, the Royal Institution and the Royal Society...
" ||align=center|
|-
|1992 || || "for his many popular books and papers, his countless public lectures and television and radio appearances, and his creation of the Exploratory Hands-on Science Centre in Bristol" ||align=center|
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|1993 || || "for his many written articles for the national press and popular science journals, his public lectures on many platforms often tailored for school children, and his major contribution in broadcasting where he has had an input to over 350 radio and television programmes" ||align=center|
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|1994 || || "for his outstanding achievement in raising the public understanding of science and technology as an issue of the highest importance to individual scientists and engineers and to many bodies that represent them" ||align=center|
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|1995 || || "for his work in communicating mathematical ideas to the widest possible range of audiences through his many thought-provoking books and magazine articles, his radio and television presentations, and his energetic public lectures in schools and industry on a variety of mathematical and quasi-mathematical topics" ||align=center|
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|1996 || || "for his numerous, wide ranging contributions to the public understanding of science in areas such as human evolution and variation, race, sex, inherited disease and genetic manipulation through his many broadcasts on radio and television, his lectures, popular science books, and his regular science column in The Daily Telegraph and contributions to other newspaper media" ||align=center|
|-
|1997 || || "for his outstanding talents in the communication of scientific principles, methods and applications to young audiences through his many demonstration lectures with wit, clarity and enthusiasm on a wide variety of topics from basic science to modern laser research and for his major role in various collaborative ventures for young people with the Royal Institution, the British Association and CREST, and for his popular science articles and contributions to a variety of radio and television broadcasts, combined with his full professional workload as Head of Chemistry at Imperial College and overseeing a research group" ||align=center| —
|-
|1998 || || "for her outstanding talents in communicating to the public how the brain works, popularising brain studies via The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, lecturing both in Britain and overseas to a wide variety of audiences, including young people, both in schools and outside the classroom, and through her activities as an author of popular books, newspaper articles and columns and her many television appearances" ||align=center|
|-
|1999 || || "for his outstanding contribution to the public understanding of human infertility and in vitro fertilisation. He has published five books as well as contributing to many newspaper articles. He is renowned as a gifted communicator especially to non-scientists, describing complex issues relating to human infertility clearly and without over-simplification. His major contribution has been in the field of television and radio both hosting and contributing to programmes" ||align=center|
|-
|2000 || || "for his enormous contribution to the public understanding of science most notably through his Chairmanship of COPUS
Committee on the Public Understanding of Science
The Committee on the Public Understanding of Science or Copus was founded in 1985 by the British Association for the Advancement of Science, the Royal Institution and the Royal Society...
and his varied and wide-ranging television and radio programmes as well as his regular contributions to the national broadsheet newspapers. For over two decades, Lewis Wolpert has brought public attention to many subjects including depression which still carries considerable social stigma through books, lectures, newspaper articles using his own brand of enthusiasm and charisma" ||align=center|
|-
|2001 || || "for his dedication to the notion of working scientists being communicators of their work and in particular for his establishment of the Vega Science Trust whose films and related activities reflect the excitement of scientific discovery to the public" ||align=center|
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|2002 || || on The origin of life. ||align=center|
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|2003 || || on Perception, deception and reality ||align=center|
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|2004 || || on Einstein's legacy as scientist and icon ||align=center|
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|2005 || || on A silent killer ||align=center|
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|2006 || || on A natural history of scientists ||align=center|
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|2007 || || on The House of Wisdom and the legacy of Arabic science ||align=center|
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|2008 || || on Every picture tells a story ||align=center|
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|2009 || ||on The secret mathematicians ||align=center|
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|2010 || || ||align=center|
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