violent carpet and hard scientific discipline had a rarified confluence last night , as the2017 Breakthrough Prizeceremony get , with some of the world ’s top scientists , cosmonaut , andSilicon Valleygiants rubbing berm with celebrities , actors , and instrumentalist .
Morgan Freeman host the fifth annual ceremony on Sunday evening at NASA ’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View , California . The award were constitute in 2012 by some of the biggest names in the tech industry , including Facebook ’s Mark Zuckerberg , Google ’s Sergey Brin , 23andMe ’s Anne Wojcicki , and physicist - turn - speculation capitalist Yuri Milner . With all its meretriciousness , glamor , and generous swag money , the award have come to be known as the “ Oscars " of science .
“ There has never been a more important time to stand science , ” Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said ina argument . “ The 2017 Breakthrough Prize laureates represent the leaders in scientific inquiry in physics , math and life skill . Their discovery will unlock raw possibilities and help make the earth a skillful place for everyone . ”
Earlier this twelvemonth the squad behind theLIGO experiment , the first detection of gravitative waving , was awarded the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics – in recognition of a really sinful scientific accomplishment .
The repose of the victor are as survey :
The 2017 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics was award to Joseph Polchinski , Andrew Strominger , and Cumrun Vafa . All three managed to take home $ 3 million each for their forward motion of quantum field possibility , string hypothesis , and quantum gravity .
The 2017 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences was awarded to Stephen J. Elledge , Harry F. Noller , Roeland Nusse , Yoshinori Ohsumi , and Huda Yahya Zoghbi . All of their work has help oneself contribute to our sympathy of cells and biologic systems , which in turn has helped intensify our sympathy of cancers , neurodegenerative , and neurologic disease .
Ohsumi also won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicinejust two months ago .
The Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics was grant to Jean Bourgain , for his contribution to multiple transformative contributions to psychoanalysis , combinatorics , fond differential equation , high - dimensional geometry , and number theory .
They also present " New Horizons " dirty money to early - vocation researchers in the fields of Mathematics and Physics . The Breakthrough Junior Challenge was grant to two success this class . Antonella Masini , 18 , from Peru , and Deanna See , 17 , from Singapore , pocketed $ 400,000 in prizes for them , their teacher , and their school day . Deanna advance the prize for her life science telecasting on antibiotic immunity and “ superbugs ” .
All of this was keep company by a gaggle of celebrities , including Will.i.am , Sienna Miller , Bryce Dallas Howard , Vin Diesel , Kevin Durant , Dev Patel , and a live performance from Alicia Keys .
Turning skill into a flashy , lead - stud show is no doubt going to have its critics . On the other hired hand , the founders indicate that scientists do n’t quite get the celebration they doubtlessly deserve and part of these booty are to rectify that .
" This labor is really mostly about public outreach,”saidMilner . “ That ’s why we have a televised ceremony and everything around it , because the founders require to send a signal that fundamental scientific discipline is authoritative . ”
Nevertheless , it seems like all this renown schmoozing is not go to change the awardees . As Zoghib , winner of one of the five Breakthrough prizes in Life Sciences , toldthe Guardian:“Material things and glare are fleeting , they come and go . You could give me all the money in the world to do another chore and I would n’t do it . I am puzzle out on something that will assist citizenry , and that payoff is with you every daylight . ”
