Nine scientific pioneers receive the 2014 Kavli Prizes
Nine pioneering scientists have been named this year’s recipients of the Kavli Prizes – prizes that recognize scientists for their seminal advances in astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience.
The 2014 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics is shared between Alan H. Guth, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, Andrei D. Linde, Stanford University, USA, and Alexei A. Starobinsky, Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia. They receive the prize “for pioneering the theory of cosmic inflation”. The theory of cosmic inflation, proposed and developed by the three prize winners, has revolutionized our thinking about the Universe. The field of inflation theory now involves thousands of theorists, and many variations of inflation are being actively debated.
The 2014 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience is shared between Thomas W. Ebbesen, Université de Strasbourg, France, Stefan W. Hell, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Germany, and Sir John B. Pendry, Imperial College London, United Kingdom. They receive the prize “for transformative contributions to the field of nano-optics that have broken long-held beliefs about the limitations of the resolution limits of optical microscopy and imaging”. Each of 2014 prize winners, through their different insights and routes, has independently advanced our ability to “see” nanostructures using “ordinary” light. This ability to see and image nanoscale objects is a critical prerequisite to further advances in the broader field of nanoscience.
The 2014 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience is shared between Brenda Milner, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Canada, John O’Keefe, University College London, United Kingdom, and Marcus E. Raichle, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, USA. They receive the prize “for the discovery of specialized brain networks for memory and cognition”. The recipients of the Kavli Prize in Neuroscience have all played major roles in advancing our understanding of memory and in the development of techniques to measure the brain. They have found the specific regions of the brain that are involved in memory, and how specialized nerve cells perform different roles.
The 2014 Kavli Prizes will be awarded in Oslo, Norway, on 9 September 2014. His Majesty King Harald will present the prizes to the laureates. The ceremony is part of Kavli Prize Week – a week of special programs that celebrate extraordinary achievements in science, educate the public on important scientific advances, and bring together distinguished members of the international community to discuss key global issues in science and science policy.
More information is available on Kavli Prizes website.
