Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

An interesting new scientific award has been making the news recently - the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. Endowed by Internet billionaires Art Levinson, Sergey Brin, Anne Wojcicki, Mark Zuckerberg, Priscilla Chan and Yuri Milner the prize aims to recocognise "excellence in research aimed at curing intractable diseases and extending human life." The award seems laudable, but GrrlScientist and Bob O'Hara, writing in The Guardian, argue that it is misguided and flawed.