Michael Faraday Prize Lecture: Life in the fast lane
About this Event
Life in the fast lane: What the past tells us about evolution under pressure
Why do some species survive extreme changes in their environment and quickly exploit new opportunities, while others are consigned to the fossil record? Why do some diversify into highly varied forms, while others potter along at low numbers, seemingly unchanged for millions of years? Why do groups that dominate global ecosystems disappear suddenly, allowing minor players to take the lead? As we enter a period of unprecedented environmental change, lessons from the past have never been more important.
In this talk, evolutionary biologist Professor Anjali Goswami explores the evolutionary paths that have shaped life on Earth over hundreds of millions of years. With examples spanning single-celled organisms to dinosaurs, she explains how her lab’s research uses new technologies, especially imaging and AI, to piece together the pace of evolutionary change across diverse species and to understand what determines which ones can keep up.
About the speaker
The Michael Faraday Prize and Lecture 2026 is awarded to Professor Anjali Goswami FRS for her transformational research in vertebrate evolution and her exceptional public engagement, particularly her dedication to championing and advocating for women and people from minoritised communities within science and research.
Professor Goswami is a Research Leader and former Dean of the Graduate Centre at the Natural History Museum London. She currently serves as Chief Scientific Adviser and Director General of Science, Data, and Analysis for the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. She previously served as President of the Linnean Society of London from 2022-2025. For her contributions, Professor Goswami has previously been awarded the Linnean Society Bicentenary Medal, the Zoological Society of London Scientific Medal, the Hind Rattan Award, the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Robert L. Carroll award, the Palaeontological Association President’s Medal, and the Humanists UK Darwin Day Medal. She has published over 150 scientific publications and a children’s book on palaeontology.
Professor Goswami’s expertise is in vertebrate evolution and development. Her work spans insects to dinosaurs, but her main interest is in the evolution of mammals. To study previous episodes of extinction and environmental change, she has searched for fossils from Svalbard to Madagascar, with her primary fieldwork being based in India and Argentina.
Attending the even
- You can attend the lecture in person at the Royal Society.
- This event is free to join, but prebooking is required to attend in person.
- We will release tickets in batches. Batch one is available from 15 September, batch two from 13 October, and last chance tickets from 27 October.
- Please note that as this is a free event, we anticipate that not everyone who reserves tickets will use them and we therefore make more tickets available than there are seats. You are highly unlikely to be refused entry but please be aware that admission is on a first-come, first-served basis and not guaranteed. Please arrive early to secure a seat.
- Live subtitles will be available in-person and virtually.
- Doors will open at 6pm.
Find travel and accessibility information. Please email us with any questions.
The lecture will also be livestreamed on the Royal Society YouTube channel. Please note you do not need to register to attend online.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
