Research by the British Science Association (BSA) reveals that nearly 90% of children aspire to tackle society’s biggest issues. Meanwhile, 72% of parents feel that science will be important to their child’s future. However, more than half of children lose confidence in their ability to affect change as they near the end of their schooling.
Yuri Milner believes science is the key to helping society survive and thrive long-term. Inspiring the next generation of scientists is one of the core themes of his short book Eureka Manifesto: The Mission for Our Civilisation. The book explores how a shared mission can offer “ a rallying call to action” for humanity, spurring on future generations of change-makers.
Embracing Yuri Milner’s Eureka Manifesto Mission
Published in 2021, Eureka Manifesto calls on us to lift our eyes beyond the horizon and unite behind a shared mission: to explore and understand our Universe. Milner argues that embracing this mission is vital to the long-term survival of humanity. If scientific progress were to stall, it would “ultimately mean the end of our civilisation.”
But to thrive far into the future, we need the next generations to embrace science and take up the mission. In Eureka Manifesto, Milner proposes several steps that we can all take to reorient society around making new scientific discoveries that drive us onwards. These steps include celebrating scientists as heroes and focusing education on the story of our universe and how life and knowledge came to exist within it.
Celebrating Scientists and Inspiring Young Innovators
Think of some of the world’s greatest celebrities. Names like Beyoncé or Cristiano Ronaldo might spring to mind. Today, we tend to admire the stars of sports and entertainment. It’s rarer that we celebrate scientific heroes or their discoveries.
That seems odd when you consider the impact scientists have made on our lives. For instance, recent winners of the Breakthrough Prize who have made revolutionary advances in cancer immunotherapy, treatment of cystic fibrosis and prediction of protein structure.
Many children know the significance of historical figures like Albert Einstein and Marie Curie. But how many young people can name a leading scientist or mathematician working today?
Milner argues that it’s vital we recognise the contribution of great scientists of the past and brilliant researchers changing today’s world. By raising their profile and prestige, we can inspire the next generation to stand on their shoulders.
Milner co-founded the Breakthrough Prize in 2012 to do just that. The Breakthrough Prize offers the world’s largest prizes for advances in fundamental physics, maths, and the life sciences. Each year, laureates receive $3 million prizes at a live, internationally televised gala award ceremony known as the “Oscars of Science.”
Millions of viewers worldwide have watched the Breakthrough Prize ceremonies over the years. The events bring together leaders from the fields of technology, business, entertainment, and academia to celebrate science and scientists.
The Breakthrough Prize ceremony also celebrates the annual Breakthrough Junior Challenge winner. Founded in 2015 by Milner and his wife Julia, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a science video competition for secondary school students worldwide.
17-year-old Sia Godika from India won the 2023 Breakthrough Junior Challenge with her brilliant video on Yamanaka factors. She attended the Breakthrough Prize ceremony in Los Angeles on 13 April 2024.
Warm congratulations from Julia and me to Sia Godika, winner of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. We look forward to seeing you and your family return to the @Brkthroughprize ceremony in April. https://t.co/Wn5D8ZS6WT
— Yuri Milner (@yurimilner) February 7, 2024
Focusing Education on the Universal Story
The Universal Story is ”the story of everything” It’s the tale of how a lifeless, mindless Universe that began with the Big Bang eventually created sentient life. Humans are remarkable precisely because we are capable of imagining, exploring, and understanding the Universe from which we emerged.
Milner explains that the unfolding of the Universe has not just given us our existence, but also our shared mission. To motivate new generations to take up the mission to explore and understand, we must focus education on the Universal Story. This approach offers an alternative to the fragmented, overly specialised disciplines we currently teach children.
The Universal Story emphasises a single field of enquiry and covers the history of our Universe, planet, and civilisation. Adopting this approach can create a cohesive, interconnected curriculum, with the epic nature of the Universal Story motivating young people to contribute to our collective mission.
However, upon leaving school, the majority are unlikely to continue engaging with science. To combat this, Milner proposes using the power of art to communicate the Universal Story.
Humans are deeply affected by various forms of storytelling, such as films, books, and music. Art has huge power to convey the Universal Story’s concepts in a way that’s emotionally impactful and inspiring, lingering with children throughout their lives.
Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
While some may stray from science after leaving school, careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are on the rise. CareerSmart estimates a 2.79% increase in STEM occupations employment in the UK between 2023 and 2027.
As STEM career opportunities continue to expand globally, aligning education with the Universal Story can motivate future generations to pursue these fields. As a result, we can ensure a thriving future for our civilisation.
Pioneering Progress for Future Generations
Humanity has taken great strides in the last hundred years due to discoveries in computing and other technological advancements. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) may represent our next quantum leap.
In the postscript of Eureka Manifesto, Milner wonders if his daughters, or their children, will be the ones to witness future leaps in human progress. They might see transformative shifts in the way humanity lives and thinks, reaching beyond Earth to explore the stars. Milner feels “full of hope” for the civilisation his children and the next generation can be part of.
However, if we stagnate in our quest to explore and understand, we risk the very future of our civilisation. Now, more than ever, we should embrace science and innovation, ensuring the next generation pursues the mission to explore and understand our Universe.
Read Yuri Milner’s Eureka Manifesto for free online.
About the Author
Yuri Milner is a science and technology entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He and his wife have joined Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates’ Giving Pledge. The couple became signatories in 2012, pledging to invest in humanity’s leading minds and our shared future. Their Breakthrough Foundation funds projects like the Breakthrough Prize, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, the Breakthrough Initiatives, and Tech For Refugees.
The Breakthrough Initiatives are a suite of space science programmes investigating the fundamental questions of life in the cosmos. Listen, the first Breakthrough Initiative launched in 2015, seeks an answer to that age-old question: Are we alone in the Universe?
Meanwhile, Tech For Refugees is a non-profit that supports tech-driven refugee projects. The initiative partners with tech leaders like Uber, Airbnb.org, Flexport.org, and Spotify to bring essential resources and services to refugees in crisis zones like Ukraine and Pakistan.
A passionate supporter of science and scientists, Milner regularly shares stories about the latest scientific discoveries via X (formerly Twitter). The news he shares ranges from gene therapy advancements to innovative space missions and breakthroughs in fundamental physics.
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