Do you like to sing in the shower or at karaoke? New research suggests a group of peculiar primates may have played an evolutionary role in your ability to do so.
Before Beyoncé we had the Beatles. Before the Beatles we had Beethoven. And before Beethoven? Lemurs! …Lemurs???
A new study recently published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences reports that these primates frequently use music to communicate with one another, something they’ve likely been doing for generations. The study’s authors even suggest that small, furry tree-dwelling lemurs (Indri indri) may have played a role in how humans evolved to create music.
About the Indris Lemur
Singing lemurs, more formally called “Indris”, are endemic to the island of Madagascar where they generally congregate at mid-to-low elevations. They typically measure between 25 and 28 inches in length and can weigh up to 21 pounds. They subsist on fruits, seeds, flowers, and tree bark, and can live approximately 20 years in the wild.
Indris are classified as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List in large part because of the destruction of their natural habitat through agriculture, logging, and charcoal production. Poaching and political instability on the island have contributed to the threat. This is further complicated by the fact they do not reach reproductive maturity until roughly eight years old. Even then, they only give birth every two to three years. Efforts are being made to understand these cute creatures in order to better protect them.
Not Missing a Beat
Indris use song to communicate with one another, like birds and ocean creatures such as whales and dolphins. They also use rhythmic vocalizations to alert each other to potential threats, and to keep track of each other when they get lost in the thicket of the forest canopy. What was interesting to the scientists wasn’t the noises themselves (see video below) but that indris are rhythmic in their use of song and other vocalizations.
The researchers recorded songs and calls produced by 51 indris spread across five patches of rainforest over a 15-year period. They then analyzed graphs of the recordings for pitch, tempo, and duration between calls or songs.
The scientists observed that indris communications have isochrony—that is, “the time between sounds or notes are equal, creating a steady occurrence of events at regular intervals, resulting in a consistent rhythm or beat” — something like the consistent ticking of a clock, or the beat of a metronome.
Indris surpass other mammals and songbirds with their rhythmic abilities, and instead are more similar to humans.
“The findings highlight the evolutionary roots of musical rhythm, demonstrating that the foundational elements of human music can be traced back to early primate communication systems,” said Daria Valente, a co-author of the paper from the University of Turin.
The Rhythmic Organization of Singing Behavior
While the researchers believe their findings support the hypothesis about the musical connections between lemurs and humans, they also acknowledged some limitations.
“Mechanistic work on singing animals is, with a few notable exceptions (e.g., songbirds, singing mice), almost impossible. Indris are critically endangered and cannot be bred in captivity, so directly tapping the mechanisms behind their singing is unfeasible. This limits our understanding of primates’ song production and perception. Still, fine-grained behavioral studies can highlight factors regulating the rhythmic organization of singing behavior,” the researchers wrote in their conclusion.
This research was published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences in June 2024. The team included researchers from Italy, the United Kingdom, Madagascar, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Financial support for the project was provided by the Max Plank Society, the Danish National Research Foundation, and the European Research Council.
This article is open access and publically available because of funding from Projekt DEAL, now called the DEAL Consortium. The organization aims to “negotiate new contractual models with journal publishers that enable the open dissemination of research results from Germany.” Wiley, the publisher of Annals, is one of the partners in the DEAL Consortium.
“DEAL Consortium is one of many so-called Transformational Agreements that journal publishers have established with countries, institutions, and even individual U.S. states,” said Douglas Braaten, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer for The New York Academy of Sciences and Editor-in-Chief of Annals. “These agreements facilitate and ensure Open Access for papers that might otherwise not be available without a subscription. Annals is working towards being fully Open Access—a goal we hope to achieve in the next two to five years.”
The Lyceum of Natural History in the City of New York (“the Lyceum” – which would become The New York Academy of Sciences in 1876) moved into its second home off Chambers Street in April 1817, just four months after its inaugural meeting. The new building, known as the New York Institution, was located in City Hall Park, bounded by Chambers Street to the north, Park Row to the east, and Broadway to the west.
The New York Institution housed several of the city’s arts and sciences organizations, including the Academy of Arts, the Academy of Painting, the American Institute, the New-York Historical Society, the City Library, the American Museum, the Lyceum of Natural History as well as the Chambers Street Savings Bank and the Deaf and Dumb Institute.
When the New York Institution moved into the space in 1817 it included room for the United States Military Philosophy Society, headed by Joseph G. Swift, a former superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Because of his institution’s near-defunct state, coupled with his personal interest in science, Swift offered part of his space in the building to the Lyceum.
Establishing Credibility
The cover of the inaugural issue of Annals.
When the Lyceum moved in in April 1817, it served as a location for meetings and public lectures, and eventually for the Lyceum’s library and natural history museum. In 1826, the Lyceum owned “the richest collection of reptiles and fish in the country” with more than 500 specimens, in addition to some 3,000 mineral artifacts.
The humble fungi are part of our daily lives from food and therapy to entertainment and biomaterials.
Published August 1, 2024
By Nick Fetty
Photo by Nick Fetty/The New York Academy of Sciences
What If Fungi Win? Immunologist and mycologist Arthuro Casadevall, MD, PhD, posed such a question in his recently published book, penned with co-author Stephanie Desmon, MA. It was also the topic of the final installment of the 2024 Authors at the Academy Series, moderated by Chief Scientific Officer Brooke Grindlinger, PhD, at The New York Academy of Sciences.
The Characteristics of Fungi
Photo by Nick Fetty/The New York Academy of Sciences
It might be the stuff of a 1950’s horror movie, but the humble fungus may have “superpowers” that allows it to thrive in the face of natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes, and wildfires, because of its ability to break up dead plant and animal matter.
Dr. Casadevall serves as a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and the Alfred and Jill Summer Chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.
In his book, he proposes a new field of study that he dubs “Disaster Microbiology.” He credits his former student and current postdoc, Daniel F. Q. Smith, PhD, for helping to come up with the idea.
One example of this is the Permian Extinction, which occurred roughly 250 million years ago. Considered “the greatest natural disaster in Earth’s history,” this catastrophic event wiped out roughly 90 percent of earth species at that time. Geological evidence from this era shows one meter of fossilized fungal spores which were nourished by the dead plant and animal matter left behind from the extinction.
“We don’t often think any disturbance of the planet disturbs the microbes,” said Dr. Casadevall. “When you have a calamity, it not only changes the world you see, but it also changes the microbial world. And this microbial world can be so changed that it will contribute to the calamity.”
Photo by Nick Fetty/The New York Academy of Sciences
Fungi and Manmade Disasters
Fungi has also been observed in the aftermath of manmade disasters such as the 1986 Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant incident. A chemical fire led to a meltdown that ultimately rendered the area around the plant essentially unlivable.
Government officials built a concrete sarcophagus around the reactor to prevent further radiation contamination. By the late 1990s, concerns arose around the concrete structure collapsing and therefore emanating radioactive dust as far as the wind would carry it.
Researchers then dispatched robots to study the land in this contaminated area. The robots observed black on the walls of the old nuclear facility, that turned out not to be soot from the fire, but instead it was fungus that makes melanin.
“We think that this fungus is using melanin to collect radiation for food,” Dr. Casadevall said. “So, it’s an example of resilience in an area of tremendous radiation.”
Fungi’s Role in Extinction
Dr. Casadevall explained that most pathogenic organisms do not cause extinction. He used the example of viruses that require a host, humans for example. It wouldn’t make sense for the virus to drive its host into extinction because the virus would die too – but fungi can.
Photo by Nick Fetty/The New York Academy of Sciences
Roughly 100 known species of frogs were wiped out by chytrid fungus. When the frogs’ bodies eventually decomposed, the fungus was released back into that body of water, furthering its spread.
A similar fungal impact was observed on bat species in the United States around 2006, when a scientist discovered dead bats strewn across the floor of a cave in upstate New York. Upon further investigation, he observed those dead bats had a white fuzz in their nose which became known as “white nose syndrome.”
Researchers found that bats are only susceptible to this condition in the winter during hibernation, when the bat’s temperature typically drops to 12 degrees centigrade. During the summers, their temperature rises to 37 degrees centigrade, allowing surviving bats to fight off the fungus. However, they can be reinfected again during the following winter.
Bats are crucial to the overall health of our environment. They are pollinators and consume millions of mosquitoes and other insects each year. Researchers are developing a vaccine to prevent further casualties, which number in the millions. This is critical to the survival of the species because of their relatively slow rate of reproduction, averaging a single offspring per couple every year.
“The losses in North American bats cannot be replaced very easily. It will probably take centuries,” said Dr. Casadevall. “[Fungi have] driven multiple species to extinction.”
Fungi, Flora, and Climate Change
Forty percent of human caloric consumption comes from wheat, corn, and rice. These three staple crops are susceptible to fungal pathogens because of their similar genetic composition. Dr. Casadevall thinks that fungi’s potential impact on crops are potentially highly detrimental.
“To me, the nightmare scenario is if we lose two [crops] at the same time because humanity can’t make up the calories,” he said, adding that to mitigate this, researchers are genetically engineering resistant strains.
While the human body temperature serves as a thermal shield against many fungi, Dr. Casadevall argues that climate change is chipping away at its effectiveness. He said that the hot days that New Yorkers and others have dealt with this summer are “selection events” in the microbial world where fungi must “adapt or die.”
“Most fungal species cannot grow at 37 degrees centigrade. You’re shielded from them by your temperature,” Dr. Casadevall explained. “But if they adapt, then our thermal defenses can’t keep them off.”
The emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris, a type of yeast that can cause severe illness in humans, was unknown to the medical world until 2009. In the following years it would be detected in South America, Africa, and Asia. These strains are not related, meaning it wasn’t transported by a single source. It was then detected in Iran and Russia, which led Dr. Casadevall to suspect that temperature is the throughline.
“That may be the first fungus that became a new fungal pathogen by adapting to temperature,” he theorized.
While global temperatures are rising, Dr. Casadevall pointed out that research suggests the average human body temperature has declined by about two-thirds of a degree over the past century. This is partly because, with more effective treatments available today, people are not as susceptible to infectious diseases as they were 100 years ago, when a higher body temperature might have provided added protection against disease.
15 Minutes of Fame
Fungi has even seeped into popular culture.
Dr. Casadevall explained that the largest organism on earth is located in Oregon and known colloquially as the “humongous fungus” (Armillaria ostoyae). This fungus is larger than Central Park in area and weighs as much as a World War II battleship.
Upon the release of the popular video-game-turned-television-series The Last of Us, reporters approached him to better understand if the premise of the show was feasible or pure science fiction. The show is set in a post-apocalyptic world which includes cannibalistic, zombie-like humans infected by a mutant fungus from the Cordyceps family.
Photo by Nick Fetty/The New York Academy of Sciences
“I had my fifteen minutes of fame. Everybody wanted to talk to me,” Dr. Casadevall said with a laugh, adding that when asked “Can this happen?” his answer was simply “Unlikely, but not impossible.”
He explained it was “unlikely” because there aren’t currently any instances of a fungi overtaking a human. However, this phenomenon has been observed in ants.
“In science you never say ‘never’ except for things that can’t happen,” he said, adding that some fungi have hallucinogenic properties that may not impact a person’s appearance but can certainly impact their behavior.
“The Biomaterials Age”
Much like previous eras have been defined by different materials (The Stone Age, The Bronze Age, etc.), Dr. Casadevall suggests contemporary times can be referred to as “The Biomaterials Age.” Biodegradable fungal leather is one example.
“Fungi can actually be grown into the shape of a purse,” Dr. Casadevall said.
It also creates melanin much like human skin naturally produces. The fungi melanin offers radiation protection much like a material such as lead, but at a lighter weight. NASA has expressed interest in using fungi for radiation protection.
“This is not science fiction. Imagine you want to shield a spacecraft, all you have to do is bring a spore into orbit and then grow the fungi in place,” said Dr. Casadevall, adding that onboard fungi cultivation efforts can double as a source for nutrients and energy capture.
Additionally, fungi have demonstrated potential to breakdown otherwise nonbiodegradable plastics. These plastics are broken down into their constituting components – carbon, nitrogen, oxygen – which are returned to the biosphere.
The MycoCoolerTM
An accomplished inventor, Dr. Casadevall is quite familiar with the rigors of the patent process. He joked that when he and his colleague, Radamés J.B. Cordero, PhD, submitted their application for a fungi-based air conditioner, “it was the only time in my life I had a patent go right through and was accepted.”
Photo courtesy of Dr. Arturo Casadevall
The idea was birthed quite by accident. For a separate project, Dr. Casadevall and other researchers set up thermal cameras in a forest. After a rain they observed that the mushrooms were emitting a coolness relative to the environment. While humans are hyperthermic, meaning human bodies are generally warmer than their environment, fungi are hypothermic, the opposite.
The MycoCoolerTM consists of a small Styrofoam cooler full of whole mushrooms and water, placed inside of a bigger Styrofoam cooler, with a few wires and a small computer fan to circulate the cool air.
“We argued that you can keep your beer relatively cold, and, as soon as the mushrooms run out of water, you eat them,” Dr. Casadevall said, followed by laughs from those in attendance.
Despite the potentially intimidating title of his book, to which Dr. Casadevall says “the fungi have already won,” he ends things on an optimistic note writing “science is humanity’s best insurance policy.”
“The invention of science, I believe, is the greatest invention of humanity,” he said in closing. “Science will give us the tools to survive.”
Check out the other events from our 2024 Authors at the Academy Series
Join Dr. Alok Aggarwal as he discusses the science behind the mystical and magical world of Artificial Intelligence and his new book The Fourth Industrial Revolution & 100 Years of AI (1950-2050): The Truth About AI & Why It’s Only a Tool.
Artificial Intelligence is ushering in a wave of change that will touch every aspect of our daily lives. Dr. Alok Aggarwal—one of the early innovators and developers in this field—sets out to demystify Artificial Intelligence by explaining its history, capabilities, and limitations. Aggarwal will explain the science and engineering behind AI in non-technical terms, catering to a diverse audience, including product managers, program leaders, business leaders, consultants, students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and decision-makers Aggarwal will explain numerous applications of AI that are already being used in vital inventions of the current and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including the Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchains, Metaverse, Robotics, Autonomous Vehicles, Three-Dimensional Printing, inventions related to predicting, mitigating, and adapting to rapid climate change, and innovations related to gene editing, protein folding, and personalized healthcare. Explore the transformative capabilities of AI to drive innovations in this accessible discussion.
Join The New York Academy of Sciences and the Science and the Technology Action Committee (STAC) to discuss national science strategy. Drawing on findings from STAC’s award-winning, seminal State of Science Report, we will delve into why concerned sectors, including science, industry, education, and more, must be on the same page about the importance of adopting a national strategy to drive and align federal policies and investment in R&D.
Survey data supports the argument that inadequate investment in agencies like NSF harms STEM education, our workforce, international competitiveness, and our national security. More concerning, 70% of respondents surveyed in the State of Science report expressed that our children will be worse off than us.
Join Nicholas Dirks of The New York Academy of Sciences, Darío Gil of The New York Academy of Sciences, STAC, the Chair of NSB, and forthcoming panelists to discuss the challenges facing the scientific community and how to overcome them.
This collection of papers explores the benefits and risks of exogenous hormone therapies to treat a wide range of medical conditions. Hormones such as kisspeptin, testosterone, gonadotropins, and oxytocin are discussed as well as their potential use for menopause, hypogonadism, bone health, and neurodevelopmental disorders. The novel experimental findings, timely reviews, and unique perspectives will provide important contributions to advance our mechanistic and practical understanding of hormone therapies and their use in healthcare settings. The virtual issue is edited by Andrew Dwyer (Boston College) and Richard Quinton (Imperial College London).
To Attend Live: After your registration is approved, you must add the session to your Science Summit schedule. In the Summit system, click on “27th Sept” and add the session.
Today, around 55% of the world’s population lives in an urban environment. Urban heat islands (UHIs) have been well documented for decades. They occur when a city’s infrastructure, like roads and buildings, absorb and remit heat more than natural landscapes like forests. This causes increased heat stress, since temperatures of cities tend to be hotter than their rural counterparts, and this is increasing quickly as climate change is leading to longer, more severe, and more frequent heat waves.
Co-convened by the International Science Reserve (ISR) and the University of California Disaster Resilience Network (UC DRN) during the Science Summit at the 79 UN General Assembly, this panel will bring together expertise ranging from engineering and urban development to equity and public policy. Panelists will discuss inequities and other issues surrounding the worsening of urban heat and resulting crises.
These require cities around the globe to respond to and better prepare for the effects of increasingly extreme and frequent heat emergencies, and their related impacts. For example, tropical and coastline geographies are reaching critical “wet bulb” temperatures, at which the human body can no longer cool down through its natural sweating process. China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, the Arabian Peninsula, and the African Sahel are among the risk zones. Jacobabad, Pakistan, often called one of the hottest cities on earth, has experienced at least four extreme wet bulb events in recent years.
Similarly, in some geographies, humidity is rising in ways that make it difficult for people’s bodies to cool down at night, with adverse effects on human health. And in cities where there has not historically been the need—as well as in those lacking the resources—for cooling infrastructure, there is increased risk because they are underprepared.
Just like with a hurricane or an earthquake, the world’s most vulnerable cities need better preparation and mitigation measures to prevent and reduce severe health impacts, including death. This panel will discuss the planning possibilities to prepare cities for urban heat islands and their related impacts, including early warning systems, infrastructure mitigation, education, and heat wave management plans. We will explore how to ensure urban dwellers, especially those most at risk like the elderly and poor or those in vulnerable geographies, can remain safe.
Panelists
Tarik Benmarhnia, Professor in Epidemiology, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego
Iphigenia Keramitsoglou, Research Director in Satellite Earth Observation, Institute for Astronomy, Astrophysics, Space Applications, and Remote Sensing, National Observatory of Athens
Ronnen Levinson, Staff Scientist and Leader of the Heat Island Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Chandni Singh, Senior Researcher, School of Environment and Sustainability, Indian Institute for Human Settlements – Bangalore
V. Kelly Turner is an associate professor of urban planning and geography and serves as associate director of the Luskin Center for Innovation, University of California, Los Angeles
Chelsea Harvey, Reporter, POLITICO’s E&E News (Moderator)
The story of The New York Academy of Sciences starts where many New York stories have – in downtown Manhattan.
It was here, on Barclay Street, near Broadway, that The Lyceum of Natural History in the City of New York (“the Lyceum” – which would become The New York Academy of Sciences in 1876) was founded. The Lyceum shared the building with the College of Physicians and Surgeons, part of the Medical Department of Columbia College, which moved into the space in 1813.
At the time, the Lyceum’s membership was largely composed of associates of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, including Dr. Samuel L. Mitchell, who served as the Lyceum’s first president. The first meeting was held at the Barclay Street facility on January 29, 1817, when members considered “the adoption of measures for instituting a ‘Cabinet of Natural History’ in New York City.”
The Lyceum hosted its preliminary meetings in this facility before officially adopting a constitution. The first formal meeting was held at Harmony Hall, a public house on the southeast corner of Duane and Wiliam Streets, where the original 21 members signed the constitution, and the first officers were elected.
By this time, the Lyceum had established its cultural utility to the city and was ready to move to its next home.
This is the first piece in an eleven-part series exploring the Academy’s past homes. Read:
A recent Associated Press poll reveals that 58% of US adults across both political parties believe that AI will amplify the spread of misinformation in the 2024 presidential election. Despite this widespread distrust, some political candidates have already leveraged deepfake ads in elections, utilizing AI-generated images and text-to-voice converters to craft highly realistic visuals that blur the line between truth and deception.
Beyond influencing public opinion with such deepfakes, AI can also skew election outcomes by deploying chatbots on a massive scale to target millions of voters with tailored political messages.While AI-enabled technologies present significant risks to elections’ integrity and societal cohesion, they also potentially enhance our democratic institutions. This technology can boost civic engagement and strengthen the electoral system by increasing accessibility and mitigating existing biases.
Join us on September 17th for a conversation alongside a panel of experts from political consulting, social neuroscience, and deepfake technologies to explore AI’s dual potential to bolster and undermine the political system. This program is available in person and virtually, with member tickets as low as $10.
The Academy strongly recommends in-person participation to network with fellow participants and be prioritized throughout the Q+A session.
“Especially, amidst severe geopolitical tensions, we need to remember that the work of science not only transcends politics but it is critical for creating a better world for us all.”
Published June 14, 2024
By Kamala Murthy
The New York Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the Blavatnik Family Foundation, hosted the annual ceremony for the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists in Israel on June 4, 2024. The Awards, a collaboration between the Blavatnik Family Foundation, The New York Academy of Sciences, and the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, are one of the most significant awards granted to scientists at the early stages of their careers in Israel. For the third time, the gala event was held at the Peres Center for Peace & Innovation in Tel Aviv. TV News Anchor, Tamar Ish-Shalom, from Reshet 13’s Saturday Night News, served as the evening’s presenter.
The ceremony began with a moving performance in Hebrew and English by renowned Israeli singer and actress, Roni Dalumi. She was followed by David Harel, President of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Prof. Harel congratulated the Laureates and thanked the jury and the Scientific Advisory Council. President Harel remarked on the growing prestige of the Blavatnik Awards, “Looking through the list of past Blavatnik Awards Laureates, one is struck by the amazing quality of their achievements both before and after winning the prize. They all continue to exhibit impressive scientific leadership making new and surprising discoveries, inspiring their colleagues and students worldwide.”
Academy President and CEO, Nicholas Dirks, thanked Len Blavatnik for his vision in promoting science for the benefit of humanity. He spoke about the importance of science for the world, “Especially, amidst severe geopolitical tensions, we need to remember that the work of science not only transcends politics but it is critical for creating a better world for us all.” Prof. Dirks then highlighted the achievements of past Blavatnik Awards Laureates in Israel and also from the Blavatnik National, Regional, and UK Awards.
This year, all three Laureates were scientists from the Weizmann Institute of Science. Each Laureate came to the stage to receive their Blavatnik Awards medal from Prof. Nicholas Dirks and afterward, gave a ten-minute presentation on their award-winning discoveries to the audience.
Chemical Sciences
In the category of Chemical Sciences, Moran Shalev-Benami was recognized for her discovery of key sensing and signaling mechanisms in the human brain that can be directly translated into precision medicine. She highlighted several of her discoveries demonstrating how her study of signaling pathways on the molecular level shed new light on how the brain regulates appetite and how light could be used to modify brain activity.
Physical Sciences & Engineering
For the Blavatnik Awards in Physical Sciences & Engineering, Thomas Vidick was recognized for his pioneering research in quantum complexity and cryptography that explores the capabilities of quantum devices. He explained how the rules of operation in these devices are governed by quantum mechanics. Quantum computers may perform certain computational tasks exponentially faster than classical computers and can enable new cryptographic protocols that leverage quantum mechanics to reach new levels of security in communication.
Life Sciences
In the Life Sciences category, Schraga Schwartz, shared his groundbreaking work mapping and quantifying RNA modifications through the development of novel RNA analytical methods using a combination of computational, chemical, and molecular biological approaches. His breakthroughs in understanding RNA modifications hold promise for treating genetic diseases and expanding the role of RNA editing beyond vaccine development.
The Zooz ‘n Dance school gave an exciting performance reflecting mathematical patterns. Ceremony presenter Tamar Ish-Shalom closed the evening’s festivities with an annual tradition of the Blavatnik Awards in Israel of making a toast to science in Hebrew, “L’Chaim; To Science!” with Len Blavatnik, the Academies’ Presidents and the Blavatnik Awards Laureates.
The day prior, the 2024 Laureates presented their research at a public symposium, held at the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Jerusalem. The symposium was opened by Inaugural Blavatnik Awards Laureate in Life Sciences, Oded Rechavi from Tel Aviv University. Prof. Rechavi presented a guest lecture titled “Molecular Memories” on his research in epigenetics. Among the symposium participants were members of the public and STEM high school students from two regional high schools.
To learn more about the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, visit blavatnikawards.org.
From left: Schraga Schwartz, Moran Shalev-Benami, Thomas Vidick.Chemical Sciences Laureate, Moran Shalev-Benami receives her Blavatnik Award.The Zooz ‘N Dance performance.Singer and Actress, Roni Dalumi gives the opening performance.Physical Sciences Laureate, Thomas Vidick gives his presentation on quantum computing and entanglement.From left: Avi Fischer, Len Blavatnik, His Excellency Simon Walters, and Jonathan Penkin.Reshet 13’s Tamar Ish-Shalom serves as the ceremony presenter.Life Sciences Laureate, Shraga Schwartz speaks about the language of RNA and RNA modification.L’Chaim to Science.
