Roger Highfield wins the Royal Society David Attenborough Award
The Honorary President of ABSW was recognised for his outstanding contribution to public engagement with science.
The Royal Society David Attenborough Award and Lecture 2025 has been awarded to Roger Highfield, ABSW Honorary President, in recognition of his extensive contribution to public engagement, the Royal Society has announced. He has reached millions of people as a journalist, broadcaster and author, as well as through museum-led initiatives.
On 22 April 2026, Roger’s lecture, “The battle for reality: Why science matters in an age of misinformation,” reflected on current challenges and explored possible solutions. If you missed the event in person, you can still watch the session online on the Royal Society YouTube channel.
“We're wired for survival, not objective truth. Our brains fall prey to emotions, cling to comfortable beliefs, and bend to social pressure. Today, the internet, social media, and AI weaponise our vulnerabilities, flooding us with misinformation, fabricated facts and outright lies.”
Roger Highfield is Science Director of the Science Museum Group and Visiting Professor of Public Engagement at both the University of Oxford and University College London. Roger has written for various outlets and was Science Editor of The Daily Telegraph (1988-2008), where he launched a dedicated science page and led initiatives to connect scientists with the media and foster new writing talent.
The award is named after the UK naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough, who turned 100 on 8 May 2026. The bronze medal is awarded annually and is accompanied by a £2,500 prize.
“It was a particular honour recently to receive a medal bearing his name from The Royal Society, recognising my attempts to engage the public with science, efforts that, needless to say, pale into insignificance beside his,” Highfield wrote in a LinkedIn post congratulating Attenborough on his 100th birthday.
