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The Breakthrough Prize Foundation today announced physicist David J. Gross of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, as the recipient of the 2026 Breakthrough Prize, which recognizes scientists whose discoveries significantly advance the growth of human knowledge. <\/p>\n
The Breakthrough Prize, commonly known as the Science Oscar\u00ae, was created to celebrate the wonders of the scientific age. The award, co-founded by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, Julia Milner and Yuri Milner, and Anne Wojcicki, is now in its 14th year.<\/p>\n
This year, six Breakthrough Prizes of $3 million each were awarded. Additionally, the Foundation recognized 15 young physicists and mathematicians and shared the $100,000 New Horizons Prize among six individuals. Three female mathematicians who recently earned their Ph.D. degrees have each been awarded the $50,000 Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize.<\/p>\n
This year’s total prize money is $18.75 million, bringing the total amount awarded in the Breakthrough Prize’s 15 years to more than $340 million.<\/p>\n
“This year’s winners demonstrate what great science is capable of, leading to discoveries that deepen our understanding of the world and improve the lives of millions,” said Biohub founders Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan. \u201cWe are proud to recognize their work.\u201d<\/p>\n
“The brilliant scientists who receive the Breakthrough Prize are building cathedrals of knowledge on the foundations laid by the giants who came before them. Our civilization and its future depend on them,” said Yuri Milner, co-founder of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation.<\/p>\n
Gross was recognized with the 2026 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics for his lifelong groundbreaking contributions to theoretical physics, from strong forces to string theory, and his tireless advocacy for basic science around the world. <\/p>\n
Gross, winner of the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics, has been a leading figure in fundamental physics for 60 years. In the early 1970s, there was a gap in our best theory of particles and forces, quantum field theory. This theory could not describe or accurately predict the strong nuclear forces that hold atomic nuclei together. But in 1973, Gross and graduate student Frank Wilczek (and independently David Politzer) solved the mystery.<\/p>\n
They discovered that this strong force works in opposition to well-known forces like gravity. That is, the force becomes weaker when the particles move closer together, and stronger when the particles move further apart. This explains why quarks, particles within the nucleus of an atom, can never escape and cannot be observed in isolation, and made possible the development of quantum chromodynamics, the theory of strong forces and the final cornerstone of the standard model of particle physics.<\/p>\n
Mr. Gross continues to make seminal contributions across multiple areas of theoretical physics. For example, he and his collaborators developed a simplified quantum field theory that helps explain how particles acquire mass. They developed a new theoretical approach that attempts to unify all fundamental forces, including gravity, into a single framework known as heterotic string theory.<\/p>\n
In addition to his theoretical research, Mr. Gross has a long history of leadership in the physics community, including roles as director of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics and president of the American Physical Society. He has been instrumental in establishing physics laboratories in India, China, and South America. For the past 25 years, he directed the Jerusalem Winter School of Theoretical Physics and chaired the Solvay Physics Conference. In 2025, he became one of the authors of an ambitious 40-year plan for physics on behalf of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Throughout his career, he has mentored many outstanding students who have also become leaders in his own right, and he has communicated his vision of physics as an international collaborative effort.<\/p>\n
“On behalf of UC Santa Barbara, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Dr. David Gross on receiving the 2026 Special Breakthrough Award for his lifelong contributions to fundamental physics,” said UC Santa Barbara President Dennis Assanis. “Dr. Gross has advanced the frontiers of particle physics and string theory, including the discovery of asymptomatic freedom and the formulation of quantum chromodynamics. His seminal work was recognized with the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics. He also made groundbreaking contributions to the theory of superstrings, a burgeoning enterprise that brings gravity into the quantum framework. Similarly, UCSB His influence cannot be overestimated. As former director, professor of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, and now Chancellor’s Professor of Theoretical Physics, Dr. Gross embodies the spirit and promise of interdisciplinary research.”<\/p>\n
A top public research university, the University of California, Santa Barbara is recognized worldwide as an intellectual and creative powerhouse. Its faculty and alumni have received countless honors, including the National Medal of Science, the National Medal of Innovation, the Fields Medal, the Academy Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and the Nobel Prize. <\/p>\n
UCSB ranks No. 1 in the nation for awarding bachelor’s degrees in physics and is a center for quantum research with two National Science Foundation-supported laboratories on campus: the Quantum Foundry and the California NanoSystems Institute. Six of UCSB’s eight Nobel Prize winners were awarded for their achievements in various aspects of quantum science, including the practical application of groundbreaking theories in areas such as semiconductor materials, conductive polymers, and quantum computing. The campus’ reputation in this area has attracted partnerships with technology companies such as Google and Microsoft, with great results.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
#UCSBs #David #Gross #receives #Special #Breakthrough #Award #Fundamental #Physics #edhat<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Written by Sherry Leachman, UCSB The Breakthrough Prize Foundation today announced physicist David J. Gross of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, as the recipient of the 2026 Breakthrough Prize, which recognizes scientists whose discoveries significantly advance the growth of human knowledge. The Breakthrough Prize, commonly known as … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":935,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[2293,1492,601,2294,575,2290,326,2291,2292,2289],"class_list":["post-934","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-award","tag-breakthrough","tag-david","tag-edhat","tag-fundamental","tag-gross","tag-physics","tag-receives","tag-special","tag-ucsbs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=934"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/935"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=934"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=934"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hyokal.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=934"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}