All the acceptance speeches of the laureates in the 18th Frontiers of Knowledge Awards

BASIC SCIENCES

Allan H. MacDonald: “Twistronics can help us understand some of the deepest problems in quantum materials physics and perhaps lead us to improved electronics, more efficient energy technologies, or new platforms for quantum information.”

Pablo Jarillo-Herrero: “Basic science rarely has immediate applications, but history shows that the deep knowledge it generates usually leads to transformative technological revolutions, with important social and economic consequences for humanity.”

BIOLOGY AND BIOMEDICINE

Carl H. June: “When reintroduced into the patient, CAR-T cells do something that no traditional chemical drug can achieve: they live, multiply, and remain vigilant as a long-term protective shield. They are, literally, a ‘living medicine’.”

Michel Sadelain: “The path that has brought me here began forty years ago, when I started to imagine how we could teach fundamental cells of our immune system, called T cells, to perform any task we assigned to them, such as destroying cancer cells.”

ICT

Joan Daemen: “Thanks to the trust in our algorithm, it is used to protect websites, electronic payments, hard drives, mobile phones, smart homes, and many other systems of daily life. We consider this a triumph of open research, which keeps our digital life secure.”

Vincent Rijmen: “Progress in cryptology arises from a rigorous process of trial and error within the academic community. Each attack brings new insights and design principles, giving rise to increasingly robust cryptographic systems.”

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Carl Wunsch: “Observations confirm that climate change is real and that it is putting civilization and the environment in general in very serious danger. The challenge we all face is to document and understand these risks to confront them.”

ECONOMICS, FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Charles F. Manski: “I believe a beneficial change can occur if awareness increases that an incredible certainty is harmful. Researchers should strive to provide credible policy analyses, recognizing the complexity of decision-making under uncertainty.”

HUMANITIES

Nancy Lynn Cartwright: “Reliable scientific achievements depend on the combination of many different forms of knowledge and methodology. It takes the collaboration of many to build a working laser, successfully carry out a medical intervention, or formulate an effective social policy.”

SOCIAL SCIENCES

NORC at the University of Chicago: “Measuring social life with scientific rigor not only contributes to the advancement of science, but also fosters trust in data and drives progress.”

Institute for Social Research (ISR) at the University of Michigan: “The power of rigorous social sciences consists not simply in describing the world, but in predicting and revealing realities that we cannot yet see.”

MUSIC AND OPERA

Unsuk Chin: “I advocate for a musical life in which only quality and curiosity matter, and in which there is no discrimination or preferential treatment based on nationality, physical appearance, skin color, gender, or aesthetic differences.”