Science News: New Science Prize in style of Nobel Prize

By "style" I mean prize size, I guess... Kavli's prize intends to be a little less conservative and offer rewards for more recent research.

Nobel science prizes will face a "more daring" rival from 2008 with $1 million awards for research into everything from the "big bang" to the brain, a Norwegian-born philanthropist said on Monday.

Fred Kavli, a physicist who left Norway in 1955 with $300 and turned it into a $340 million fortune in California, said he was setting up three prizes for astrophysics, neuroscience and nanotechnology -- the use of molecule-sized devices.

According to a Reuters report, Kavli also funds some 10 science institutes at schools such as Stanford and Cornell Universities.

"We want to spread the word of science and get more students interested ... In many parts of the world that's a problem, from Norway to the United States," Kavli told Reuters.

Great!

I have not heard of Kavli before but I suspect some of you have.  This might be a chance to say what a great guy he is.

At least, he seems great to me... from this.

cheers