Two POPSCI Brilliant 10 Scientists Nab 2005 MacArthur "Genius" Awards

by Antonin Kratcochvil Antonin Kratcochvil

Congratulations are in order for two alums of POPSCIs Brilliant 10-geophysicist Michael Manga (Brilliant 10 class of 2003) of the University of California at Berkeley and laser physicist Claire Gmachl (Brilliant 10 class of 2004) of Princeton University-each of whom was awarded a $500,000 MacArthur "genius" grant on September 20. The awards recognize individuals who, as stipulated by the MacArthur Foundation, "show exceptional merit and promise for continued and enhanced creative work." POPULAR SCIENCE is turning out to be uncannily predictive of who will win this coveted honor: In 2004 both Massachusetts Institute of Technology materials scientist Angela Belcher (Brilliant 10 class of 2002) and MIT computational theorist Erik Demaine (Brilliant 10 class of 2003) won a MacArthur.

Read our profiles of each of the four winners:

Michael Manga

Claire Gmachl

Erik Demaine

Angela Belcher

And meet this year's current crop, the PopSci Brilliant 10 Class of 2005:

Link to start page of this year's Brilliant 10