The entries are in, and judging has begun for the 2023 Breakthrough Junior Challenge. The global video competition invites young people to create short videos explaining big ideas or theories in physics, life sciences, or maths. The winner of the Challenge receives life-changing educational prizes, including a $250,000 post-secondary scholarship.
Tech For Refugees co-founders Julia and Yuri Milner launched the Breakthrough Junior Challenge in 2015. As part of their Giving Pledge to invest in science and scientists, the couple’s Breakthrough Foundation supports the Breakthrough Initiatives and the Breakthrough Prize.
Taking On the Breakthrough Junior Challenge
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge asks teenagers to convey a complex scientific concept in an original video with a maximum runtime of two minutes. Students aged 13 to 18 from any country can enter the competition. It only takes a few simple steps to apply and submit video entries online.
The competition’s four-stage judging process determines which video deserves to win the Challenge. The best videos should be engaging and creative, and they should illuminate an idea that’s challenging to explain.
These are the topics that previous winners’ videos have covered:
- Einstein’s theory of relativity.
- Quantum entanglement.
- Superbugs and antibiotic resistance.
- Relativity and the equivalence of frames of reference.
- Circadian rhythm.
- Neutrino astronomy.
- Quantum tunnelling.
- Van der Waals and Casimir forces.
- The effects of blue light on sleep.
The 2023 Breakthrough Junior Challenge will announce the Popular Vote top scorer, the regional champions, and the finalists on Sept. 21, 2023. The Popular Vote winner and the finalists will enter a final round, and one contestant will emerge as the Challenge prize winner.
Advancing Science and Spreading Scientific Ideas
In creating the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, Yuri Milner sought to inspire young people to think creatively about science. Since 2015, entrants have submitted thousands of amazing videos. These videos continue to spread scientific ideas and serve as educational resources for students worldwide.
One of the goals of Yuri Milner’s Breakthrough Foundation is to support the communication of scientific ideas. The billionaire established the organisation to help realise his Giving Pledge promise to invest in science and humanity’s shared future.
Julia and Yuri Milner joined the Giving Pledge over ten years ago. Since then, the Milners have funded several enterprises that align with their Giving Pledge, including:
- Tech For Refugees.
- The Breakthrough Initiatives.
- The Breakthrough Prize.
Tech For Refugees
Launched in 2022 in response to the global refugee crisis, Tech For Refugees sponsors tech-driven humanitarian efforts. The non-profit understands that technology can offer critical assistance to refugees. Tech For Refugees’ partners includes Spotify, Welcome.US, and Flexport.org.
The Breakthrough Initiatives
A set of cosmology-focused programmes, the Breakthrough Initiatives encourage the spread of scientific ideas through:
- Ongoing research and engineering projects.
- An annual space science conference for academics.
- A competition, open to the public, that encourages debate about interstellar messages.
The Breakthrough Prize
The Breakthrough Prize recognises the world’s best researchers working in the fundamental sciences. Winners receive acclaim and a $3 million prize each at the annual Breakthrough Prize ceremony (known as the “Oscars of Science”).
Breakthrough Junior Challenge winners also attend the Breakthrough Prize ceremony. The young champions receive global recognition at the event and get to meet their science heroes. Winners also have the opportunity to make an acceptance speech, perhaps inspiring future Challenge champions.