Our $3 million prizes will turn scientists into heroes

Billionaire internet investor Yuri Milner says he launched his $3 million science prizes to create heroes for the next generation

What is the goal of the new prizes?
Scientists are under-represented as heroes in our society. We intend to change that. This is not an objective in itself; it will in turn encourage younger people to go into science and also help to increase funding. The more attention you attract to science, the better off everybody will be.

Why do you think famous scientists are key to inspiring the next generation?
To inspire young people to go into science you need to show them the heroes of the present. People look at Usain Bolt and they go into running. You need role models to attract young talent. That is not emphasised in science. How many scientists are household names?

You launched physics prizes last year. Why did you create life sciences prizes as well?
Fundamental physics is at the forefront of answering big questions; I don't think there is any bigger question than the universe. The next set of big questions is about life ? evolution, disease, genetics, longevity and so on. So the life sciences are a natural second step.

How did you decide on $3 million?
There is no magic in this number, but it emphasises the importance of these people in society: not only Wall Street traders should be making millions. That said, I don't think scientists are inspired by money. It's not so much about the $3 million ? though that's not going to hurt. It is about showcasing the scientists. Millions of lives are saved every year by what these people are discovering, yet nobody knows who they are.

Why did you decide to have prize recipients form a committee to select future winners?
I'm a former scientist and an internet investor. Something that makes some internet companies very powerful is the network effect: as people join a network, it becomes disproportionately more powerful. If previous winners pick the next winners, they have a vested interest in keeping the bar high ? if not, they devalue their own prize.

Are you concerned about networks of insiders ? colleagues selecting colleagues?
Over the years, I think this will not really dominate. If you remember, Facebook started in colleges. It was the network for Harvard, then Stanford and then other colleges. Then it went beyond colleges, and the bigger it grew, the more representative it became. You just have to start somewhere. Of all ways to pick winners, I think this is less political.

Critics of these prizes point out that most recipients work for well-funded universities.
This money is not going towards research. It is not to buy equipment and do genome sequencing ? there are multiple philanthropic organisations that do that. It is going straight into the pockets of individuals, to reward individual achievement. That's why I think a lot of this criticism is slightly misplaced. This is about people, not institutions.

How do you hope winners spend the money?
I hope this will give them more freedom to do what they want to, allow them to spend more time on science and less time thinking about how to fix the car or put someone through college or buy a house.

This article appeared in print under the headline "One minute with... Yuri Milner"

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