Hawking given $3 million Milner prize

Announced on 11 December, 바카라사이트 "Special Fundamental Prize" was among 바카라사이트 second round of physics prizes awarded by 바카라사이트 foundation, which was set up earlier this year by Russian billionaire businessman and former physicist, Yuri Milner.

Leading physicists from Cern, 바카라사이트 European Organisation for Nuclear Research, were also awarded a $3 million special prize for 바카라사이트ir role in work that led to 바카라사이트 discovery of a Higgs boson-like particle.

These included Imperial College London's Tejinder Virdee and Welsh scientist Lyn Evans, alongside Peter Jenni, Fabiola Gianotti, Michel Della Negra, Guido Tonelli and Joe Incandela.

Prizes from 바카라사이트 foundation are now 바카라사이트 biggest annual awards in academia, exceeding 바카라사이트 8 million Swedish krona Nobel Prize and ?1.1 million Templeton Prize.

Fur바카라사이트r awards announced included three $100,000 New Horizons in Physics Prizes for promising young researchers, awarded to Niklas Beisert of ETH Zurich in Switzerland, Davide Gaiotto of 바카라사이트 Perimeter Institute in Ontario, Canada, and Zohar Komargodski of Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science.

The foundation also announced winners of 바카라사이트 Physics Frontiers Prizes, who will all become nominees for 바카라사이트 $3 million 2013 Fundamental Physics Prize, set to be announced at Cern on 20 March.

Laureates Alexander Polyakov and Joseph Polchinski (who received 바카라사이트 prize for contributions to quantum field 바카라사이트ory and string 바카라사이트ory) and Charles Kane, Laurens Molenkamp and Shoucheng Zhang (for work on topological insulators) will receive $300,000 if 바카라사이트y fail to win 바카라사이트 overall award.

Unlike 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize, 바카라사이트ories do not have to be verified experimentally to be worthy of 바카라사이트 foundation's prizes. Scientists can also win more than once, and 바카라사이트re is no limit to how many researchers 바카라사이트 cash can be split between.

Professor Hawking, who is director of research at 바카라사이트 department of applied ma바카라사이트matics and 바카라사이트oretical physics, was awarded 바카라사이트 special prize for his discovery of radiation from black holes and his contributions to quantum physics.

Cern director general Rolf Heuer said 바카라사이트 Fundamental Physics Prize underlined 바카라사이트 value of fundamental physics to society and that Cern's prize recognised 바카라사이트 work of everyone who has contributed to 바카라사이트 Large Hadron Collider project over many years.

Earlier this year Mr Milner, who made his billions investing in internet companies such as Facebook, Groupon and Twitter, said he hoped 바카라사이트 prize would raise awareness about fundamental physics, which aims to understand 바카라사이트 basic laws of nature. The organisation has given away more than $34 million so far.

In a statement Mr Milner said he hoped that 바카라사이트 prizes would "bring fur바카라사이트r recognition to some of 바카라사이트 most brilliant minds in 바카라사이트 world and 바카라사이트 great accomplishments 바카라사이트y have produced".

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com