Today at the 5th annual Breakthrough Prize, some of Silicon Valley’s biggest names will award more than $25 million to scientific research in departments across the globe. The event splices together research scientists far more accustomed to red tape than red carpets with tech’s deepest-pocketed and most idealistic upper echelons. The result is a flashy, hopeful hybrid event serving scientific good and valley ego alike. Did we mention that it’s hosted by Morgan Freeman? Like last year, the main awards honor veteran researchers in three categories: life sciences, fundamental physics, and mathematics. Here are this year’s winners: Life Sciences winners (individual $3 million prizes) Stephen J.
The Breakthrough prizes attempt to upstage the Nobels
The Economist
Breakthrough Prize program awards $25 million to a dream team of researchers
