On 18-19 July 2024, the University of Oxford hosted Breakthrough Discuss for the first time. One of Yuri Milner’s Breakthrough Initiatives, this annual academic conference focuses on topics like space exploration and the possibility of life in the Universe.
Breakthrough Discuss 2024 gathered leading experts in science and technology, including Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, the astrophysicist known for discovering pulsars. This year’s theme was “A Cosmic Tapestry for Exploration: Weaving Novel Strands in Artificial Intelligence, Astrobiology, and Space Missions.”
Expert Insights and Highlights
Breakthrough Discuss 2024 featured over 30 speakers and chairs, including 14 prominent women in AI, astrobiology, and space exploration. Top specialists such as Dr Carolyn Mercer, chief technologist for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, shared their insights.
Day two of the conference included highlight talks from speakers like renowned physicist David Deutsch and Alison Lowndes, a senior scientist at NVIDIA. Professor of Astrophysics at Oxford University Chris Lintott chaired these talks and the subsequent panel discussion. Lintott is also an author and broadcaster for the BBC’s Sky at Night.
The University livestreamed the conference on the Breakthrough YouTube channel, where viewers can now find all talks and panel discussions.
Uniting Three Scientific Strands
Breakthrough Discuss 2024 highlighted three key scientific strands reshaping our understanding of the Universe and our role in it:
- Artificial intelligence (AI).
- Astrobiology.
- Space missions.
Recent discoveries and advancements in these fields are driving significant changes, expanding our perspective of life in the cosmos and humanity’s potential for space exploration.
1. How AI Is Transforming Science
Advancements in data science and AI are revolutionising astronomy. These technologies are introducing new methods of searching for evidence of life beyond Earth in the form of biosignatures and technosignatures.
A biosignature is any element, feature, characteristic, substance, or molecule that indicates the presence of life. Meanwhile, a technosignature is a technological trace of intelligent life.
Speakers at the conference discussing this strand included Alexis Boukouvalas of Google DeepMind. The company’s mission is to build AI responsibly to benefit humanity.
Boukouvalas offered an overview of how we can unlock scientific breakthroughs with AI. He also discussed examples of how DeepMind is using AI to tackle challenges like protein structure prediction.
2. The Fabric of Life On and Off the Earth
Cutting-edge research in astrobiology continues to enrich our understanding of the tapestry of life in the Universe. Studies of extreme habitats on Earth, the distant past, varied environments in the Solar System, and diverse exoplanets are deepening our insights into life’s potential across the cosmos.
Speakers at the conference discussing this strand included Professor Jane Greaves of the University of Cardiff. She revealed some of her team’s observations of what could be microscopic life in the sulphuric acid clouds of Venus. While still unconfirmed, these observations are an exciting step in the field of near-Earth astrobiology.
3. New Frontiers in Space Exploration
Advancements in launch capabilities and robotic technologies are ushering in a new era for space missions. These developments are unlocking unprecedented opportunities for exploration, from remote sensing and lunar missions to journeys to the outer Solar System and our wider galaxy.
Speakers at the conference discussing this strand included engineer Vandi Verma. Verma is the deputy section manager for the Mobility and Robotics section of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She spoke about NASA’s innovations in the robotic search for life, from robotic missions to the Moon and Mars to Venus, Saturn’s moon Enceladus, and beyond.
Breakthrough Listen and Starshot
In addition to the core strands, Breakthrough Discuss 2024 covered recent progress in the Breakthrough Initiatives Listen and Starshot. Stephen Hawking helped Yuri Milner launch these initiatives in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Oxford University became the international headquarters for Breakthrough Listen in 2023. Listen is the world’s largest project furthering the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). The telescopes Listen uses to scan the sky for technosignatures are 50 times more sensitive than those previously dedicated to SETI.
Meanwhile, Starshot is a long-term research and development programme on a mission to make interstellar travel a reality. If the programme succeeds, it will send a probe to our nearest star system Alpha Centauri within the lifetime of people alive today.
The Power of Collaboration
Breakthrough Discuss 2024 highlighted the importance of scientific collaboration, reflecting the unified vision in Milner’s Eureka Manifesto. His manifesto calls for renewed scientific inquiry and discovery through collective effort. The book also advocates celebrating scientists as heroes and investing resources in fundamental science and space exploration.
The conference’s insightful presentations and debates showcased how interdisciplinary and international collaborations can help humanity address complex scientific challenges. Participants shared success stories and innovative ideas, demonstrating the power of collective expertise and resources.
Breakthrough Discuss 2024 has also inspired new partnerships and projects, continuing the collaborative spirit of Milner’s Breakthrough Initiatives.
About Yuri Milner
Yuri Milner is an entrepreneur and philanthropist known for his work in science and technology. His childhood passion for science and early career in theoretical physics laid the groundwork for his future ventures.
Milner gained prominence as a successful venture capitalist, founding DST Global. The investment firm’s portfolio has included pioneering internet companies like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Airbnb, Alibaba, Spotify, and WhatsApp.
In 2012, Milner and his wife Julia co-founded the Breakthrough Prize with Mark Zuckerberg, Anne Wojcicki, and Sergey Brin. The Breakthrough Prize is a prestigious award that recognises outstanding achievements in scientific research. Prize categories include fundamental physics, the life sciences, and mathematics.
In 2015, Milner established the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. The annual competition encourages the world’s students to create engaging videos that explain tricky scientific ideas. 17-year-old Sia Godika from India won the 2023 Challenge with her entertaining video on Yamanaka factors.
Additionally, Milner created Tech For Refugees, a non-profit that uses technology to enhance the lives of displaced people. The initiative partners with tech innovators and humanitarian organisations like Uber and UNICEF USA. Together, Tech For Refugees and its partners help refugees who are living in crisis zones survive, recover, and settle into new communities.
Milner is a signatory of the Giving Pledge, a commitment by individuals to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes during their lifetimes or in their wills. His pledge letter emphasises investing in scientific brilliance and innovation to address global challenges and foster human progress.
