The Kavli Prize

30/07/2026

How is the brain so efficient? How did the Milky Way form and grow? How do scientists build materials one atom at a time?

These are the kinds of questions that drive scientific discovery, and the questions explored by the 2026 Laureates in , , and .

From uncovering how neurons communicate and form lasting connections, to revealing the ancient galactic collisions that built the Milky Way, and to discovering how twisting atomically-thin materials can unlock extraordinary new properties, this year's laureates have transformed our understanding of the brain, the cosmos, and the nanoscale world.

Meet the 2026 Kavli Prize Laureates and explore the groundbreaking science behind their discoveries at Kavliprize.org.

28/07/2026

"The Milky Way has been broken, rebuilt, and is now being disturbed again."

In a fascinating piece for The Conversation US, 2026 laureate Vasily Belokurov explains how astronomers use stars as cosmic fossils to reconstruct billions of years of galactic history.

From ancient mergers that reshaped the Milky Way to new clues about dark matter and our galaxy's future collision course, Belokurov reveals why what appears eternal in the night sky is actually part of a much longer story.

Read the full article and discover the science behind this year's Kavli Prize-awarded research: https://theconversation.com/the-milky-way-was-rewired-by-a-cataclysmic-collision-billions-of-years-ago-now-it-is-on-course-for-another-284721

As a galactic archaeologist, my job is to reconstruct the past of our galaxy – and read the signs of its future.

15/07/2026

How do scientists reconstruct a cosmic collision that happened billions of years ago, and what does that help tell us about our universe today?

Join physicist Jim Al-Khalili of University of Surrey as he explores the groundbreaking research recognized by the 2026 and learn how an ancient galactic merger helped shape the Milky Way that we call home.

Watch the full science explainer on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/

24/06/2026

MIT professor of physics Pablo Jarillo-Herrero is among 10 researchers worldwide to receive this year’s prestigious Kavli Prize. https://news.mit.edu/2026/pablo-jarillo-herrero-wins-kavli-prize-nanoscience-0610

17/06/2026

Billions of neurons, trillions of synapses, and a whole lot of processing power.

Hear from physicist Jim Al-Khalili as he takes us into the mind to learn how this year’s Laureates in uncovered the crucial roles that RNA and protein production play in building, strengthening and maintaining the brains vast network of connections.

Watch the full science explainer on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/

16/06/2026

How can our brains work so efficiently?

The 2026 Laureates in broke longstanding beliefs and revealed that proteins form locally at synapses, directly where neurons transmit signals, not in the cell body like previously thought.

Their findings continue to help us understand how the brain works and bring new insights into potential treatments for neurological disorders.

Explore this and more discoveries from the 2026 Kavli Prize Laureates at kavliprize.org.

15/06/2026

A cosmic collision changed the course of our galaxy.

Between 8-11 billion years ago, the Milky Way collided with and absorbed a smaller galaxy, triggering a burst of star formation that reshaped our galaxy and revealed new clues about dark matter. Like space archeologists, the 2026 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics Laureates study the chemical fingerprints left behind in the stars to chart the history of the Milky Way.

So what exactly can the stars tell us about the Milky Way’s past?

Explore the science behind this groundbreaking discovery, what it means for the future of , and learn more about the 2026 Laureates at kavliprize.org.

11/06/2026

What happens when you twist matter by just one degree?

This years 2026 Laureates discovered that stacking atom-thin material layers and rotating them at a precise “magic angle” dramatically changes how electrons behave. This emerging field, known as Twistronics, has opened new possibilities for superconductivity, quantum technologies, and more sustainable electronics made from abundant materials.

So how exactly can a tiny twist help power the next generation of computing?

Head to The Kavli Prize website to learn just how revolutionary Twistronics is for the field of and learn more about the scientists behind this groundbreaking work.