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It was a constellation of stars, science and Silicon Valley luminaries at the NASA Ames Research Park on Sunday for the annual Breakthrough Prize. Now in its fifth year, the award ceremony honors scientific achievement with the glitz of a Hollywood gala, and it did not disappoint.
The red carpet event, staged in front of the skeletal Hangar One, felt like a marriage of two distant worlds — NASA Ames director Eugene Tu fielded media questions next to musician wil.i.am; Los Altos billionaire Yuri Milner presented awards with actress Sienna Miller; 23andMe founder Anne Wojcicki walked arm-in-arm with baseball powerhouse A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez).
But ask anyone what was the highlight of the night, and you’d hear the same refrain: “Tonight is all about the scientists.”
While they might not be household names, these unsung heroes will be a big deal for generations to come. Among the local Breakthrough winners, Stanford University professor Roeland Nusse received a Life Sciences award for his research into Wnt signals, a crucial accomplishment for advancing stem-cell research for medical applications, including potential cancer treatments.
Another Life Sciences award went to UC Santa Cruz professor Harry Noller for his pioneering research into ribosomes and RNA. It was a field of study that years ago wasn’t given much thought since the emphasis was on proteins. He recalls colleagues calling his RNA research a “crackpot idea.” Needless to say, Noller felt vindicated today. His advice to the younger generation was to follow their passions.
“The most important quality for science is desire; if you’re excited by it, go for it,” Noller said.
For budding scientists, the Breakthrough Junior awards honor young people who design their own videos to explain scientific concepts. This year’s winners — Deanna See, 17, of Singapore and Antonella Masini, 18, of Peru — both credited Mountain View-based Khan Academy’s acclaimed educational videos for demonstrating how complex ideas could be relayed in a way that’s easy to understand.
In fact, See said she first learned about the Breakthrough awards after Khan sent out a mass-email to his younger subscribers urging them apply. She put together a short video on superbugs — pathogens that are building up an immunity to antibiotics.
On Sunday, she was walking a red carpet in front of a phalanx of photographers, about to accept a $250,000 scholarship as well as a new science lab for her school.
“It’s just surreal being here,” See said with a wide grin. “It’s absolutely great.”
About $25 million in prize money in total was awarded to Breakthrough Prize winners in categories of Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences and Mathematics. Believed to be the largest cash award in sciences, the Breakthrough Prize provides each winner $3 million.
All the winners of the 2017 Breakthrough Prize can be found at the event’s website.
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Actor Jeremy Irons on the red carpet at the Breakthrough Awards on Dec. 4, 2016. Photo by Michelle Le -
Actor Jeremy Irons on the red carpet at the Breakthrough Awards on Dec. 4, 2016. Photo by Michelle Le -
Basketball player Kevin Durant on the red carpet at the Breakthrough Awards on Dec. 4, 2016. Photo by Michelle Le -
Twitter cofounder and Medium founder Ev Williams on the red carpet at the Breakthrough Awards on Dec. 4, 2016. Photo by Michelle Le -
Breakthrough Awards cofounder Anne Wojcicki and A-Rod on the red carpet at the Breakthrough Awards on Dec. 4, 2016. Photo by Michelle Le -
Actor Vin Diesel on the red carpet at the Breakthrough Awards on Dec. 4, 2016. Photo by Michelle Le -
Breakthrough Awards cofounder Sergey Brin on the red carpet on Dec. 4, 2016. Photo by Michelle Le -
Breakthrough Awards cofounder Sergey Brin on the red carpet on Dec. 4, 2016. Photo by Michelle Le -
Breakthrough Awards cofounder Sergey Brin on the red carpet on Dec. 4, 2016. Photo by Michelle Le -
Shaquin K. Ferguson. Photo courtesy of Palo Alto Police Department. -
Erica Jaynisha White. Photo courtesy of Palo Alto Police Department. -
Eastbound traffic was barred on University Avenue in Palo Alto on Dec. 4 after thieves smashed a vehicle into the Apple store. Photo by Craig Dremann. -
Passersby talk with an Apple store employee after thieves smashed into the building with a vehicle and stole laptops and iPhones. Photo by Craig Dremann. -
Apple store employees stand outside the University Avenue store, which is surrounded by a black curtain after thieves used a car to smash through the glass window on Dec. 4. Photo by Craig Dremann. -
Bracing is in place where thieves smashed a window with a vehicle to break into the Apple store. Photo by Craig Dremann. -
Workers replaced a 40-foot window that thieves had destroyed after smashing a vehicle into the building on Dec. 4. Photo by Craig Dremann. -
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The chilliest temperatures are expected to arrive on Tuesday night and will linger into Wednesday morning, weather service officials said. -
KZSU DJ and Stanford University lecturer Dr. Ramzi Salti hosts the radio show and podcast “Arabology.” Photo by Veronica Weber. -
KZSU DJ and Stanford University lecturer Dr. Ramzi Salti hosts the radio show and podcast “Arabology.” Photo by Veronica Weber. -
KZSU DJ and Stanford University lecturer Dr. Ramzi Salti hosts the radio show and podcast “Arabology.” Photo by Veronica Weber. -
The “Arabology” radio show and podcast features an eclectic selection of music from the Arab world. Photo by Veronica Weber. -
Michael Shipley and Laura Jane Bailey play a married couple in “Fiction.” Photo by Scott Ragle. -
From left, Drew, Lily, Emma and Sophie look up in awe at Santa at Mountain View City Hall on Dec. 6, 2016. Photo by Michelle Le -
Santa helpers Nathalie Preciado, left, and Doreen Edmonds, right, pose for a picture as Santa holds Shawna Li, 2, and her brother Roy, 6 months, on Dec. 6, 2016. Photo by Michelle Le -
Mountain View City Council members, including (from left) Mayor Pat Showalter, Ken Rosenberg, Mike Kasperzak and John McAlister, share the stage with Santa for the annual tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 6, 2016. Photo by Michelle Le -
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Jose Aguilar, 23, has his heart checked out by Marietta Sabater, MD, during a followup appointment at Mayview Clinic on Dec. 5, 2016. Aguilar and his family have been seeing Sabater for the past 4 years she has been working there. Photo by Michelle Le
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Voice – thanks for emphasizing the scientists and their science in your article this year. Previous years were lacking in their recognition.
Congratulations to all the recipients!
For as many times as articles have been published in the MV Voice and around the globe, I wish people would stop calling it “NASA Ames Research Park”. It’s official name is “Nasa Research Park”.. google it.. 🙂
Be sure of the nit your pick. Here’s the link to the Nasa Ames Research Center that Google gave me on the search:
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/home/index.html
I think Eugene knows where he works at.
NASA Ames Director Eugene Tu
https://www.nasa.gov/ames/center-director-eugene-tu