Biggest Questions in Science

Scientific American Custom Media talks to 2014 Kavli Prize laureate Alan Guth about new views on the birth of the universe

Scientific American Custom Media talks to 2012 Kavli Prize Laureate Mike Brown about Pluto, Planet 9, and extraterrestrial life

Scientific American Custom Media talks to 2020 Kavli Prize Laureate Andrew Fabian about x-ray astronomy, black holes, and the most extreme conditions in the cosmos

Scientific American Custom Media talks to 2018 Kavli Prize Laureate Jennifer Doudna about the future of gene editing

Scientific American Custom Media talks to 2016 Kavli Prize Laureate Carla Shatz about how reshaping neural circuits could treat brain disorders and improve our ability to learn

Scientific American Custom Media talks to 2020 Kavli Prize Laureate David Julius about the new science of pain sensation and the future of pain relief

A pioneer in X-ray astronomy, Andrew Fabian discusses the belly of a black hole, how galaxy clusters evolve, and how quasars could expose the secrets of dark matter

Jørgen Christensen-Dalsgaard pioneered ways to use sound waves in stars to reveal their internal dynamics. We asked him what they revealed about life in the universe, the formation of galaxies and the ultimate fate of our planet

The LIGO experiment opened a whole new window to the universe. We asked Rainer Weiss, one of LIGO’s lead architects, what gravitational-wave astronomy could reveal next

Conny Aerts is an astrophysicist and a pioneer of asteroseismology. This year she shared the Kavli Prize in Astrophysics for her research and leadership that has laid the foundations of solar and stellar structure theory, and revolutionized our understanding of the interiors of stars.

Ewine van Dishoeck received the Kavli Prize in Astrophysics in 2018 for elucidating the life cycle of interstellar clouds and the formation of stars and planets. What other mysteries of space are left to be uncovered?

A discussion series from Scientific American Custom Media

Ewine van Dishoeck, winner of the 2018 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics, discusses her work in the origin, structure, and composition of the cosmos

The best scientists make discoveries that transform how we understand the world around us. Three newly minted Kavli Prize laureates offer exclusive insights into how they reached the forefront of their fields.

In astrophysics, neuroscience and nanoscience, this year’s laureates transformed how we live, sense and understand our place in the universe.

Kavli Prize Laureates reflect on the moments that led to their lauded discoveries

Since 2008, the Kavli Prize has been honoring scientists for their seminal research in astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience. As we prepare for the 2018 prize announcement, we look back at how the laureates have fundamentally transformed our understanding of the Universe.

The CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system is transforming bioengineering. We asked one of the technology’s creators, Jennifer Doudna, what comes next.

Electron optics expert Ondrej Krivanek on how atomic images could lead to energy-sipping computers, eco-friendly power, and sharper images of living cells

Self-assembled monolayers enable a remarkable array of modern technologies. Ralph Nuzzo, a pioneer in the field, looks ahead to tomorrow’s revolutionary materials

Known for co-inventing CRISPR, Emmanuelle Charpentier discusses how advances in gene editing could transform agriculture, medicine and science itself

Gerd Binnig shared The Kavli Prize in Nanoscience in 2016 for inventing the atomic force microscope. What transformative impact has this invention had on nanoscience?

Jacob Sagiv is a chemist who studies properties of self-assembled monolayers. This year, he shared The Kavli Prize in Nanoscience for his research.

Chad Mirkin, recipient of the 2024 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience, has spent his career exploring the possibilities of creating and inventing materials at the nanoscale

A discussion series from Scientific American Custom Media

Jennifer Doudna, co-winner of the 2018 Kavli Prize in Nanoscience, discusses her work in science at the atomic scale

A pioneer in pain research, David Julius describes shape-changing pain receptors, objective methods for diagnosing pain, and the hunt for painkillers that target an arthritic knee, an annoying itch, or a migraine

Neurologist Christopher Walsh discovered genes that direct cerebral cortex development. We asked him what they reveal about intelligence, psychiatric disorders, and the nature of being human

Journalist and author Beth Gardiner talks about her new book Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution. And CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna talks about gene editing.

Ardem Patapoutian shared The Kavli Prize in Neuroscience in 2020 for answering a basic question: How does touch actually work?

Huda Zoghbi is a clinician-scientist who studies the molecular mechanisms of neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration. This year she shared the Kavli Prize in Neuroscience for discovering the genetic pathways behind serious brain disorders.

John O’Keefe shared the Kavli Prize in Neuroscience in 2014 for discovering that neurons in the hippocampus encode an animal’s location and create a cognitive map for navigation

James Rothman shared The Kavli Prize in Neuroscience in 2010 for discovering the molecular basis of neurotransmitter release. How did a biochemist come to win such a prestigious prize in neuroscience?

A discussion series from Scientific American Custom Media

Albert James Hudspeth, co-winner of the 2018 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience, discusses his work in science of the human brain

Step inside the research and imagination of Professor Sara Seager, a trailblazer in the search for life beyond Earth and a recipient of the 2024 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics. Exploring the staggering scale of our galaxy, the Milky Way, with its more than one trillion planets, this animation reveals how the innovative technique of transit transmission spectroscopy that Sara invented has transformed the study of exoplanet atmospheres and the search for Earth’s twin.