Earlier this year, teenagers around the world submitted creative videos about the scientific topics that interest them most to the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. The Popular Vote judging phase of the competition has now begun. Over the next few weeks, people worldwide will vote for their favourite videos on the Breakthrough Foundation’s Facebook and YouTube accounts.
Eureka Manifesto author Yuri Milner launched the Breakthrough Junior Challenge in 2015 as part of his Giving Pledge to support the global science arena. His Breakthrough Foundation, which organises the competition, also sponsors the Breakthrough Prize and the Breakthrough Initiatives.
The Popular Vote concludes on 20 Sept. 2023. The Breakthrough Junior Challenge will then announce the winners of the judging phase and who will move on to the finals.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Breakthrough Junior Challenge and how to take part in the Popular Vote.
What Is the Breakthrough Junior Challenge?
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is a yearly global science competition for students. Yuri Milner and his wife Julia created the Challenge to encourage creative thinking about scientific ideas.
To enter the Challenge, young people must create and submit an original video that explains and illuminates a theory or principle from one of these three fields:
- Physics.
- Mathematics.
- Life sciences.
Who Is Yuri Milner?
Yuri Milner is a billionaire, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He has pursued careers in theoretical physics and internet technology investment. His company DST Global has supported several famous tech giants over the years, including Facebook, Twitter, and Spotify.
Yuri Milner has also written a short book called Eureka Manifesto: The Mission for Our Civilisation. Eureka Manifesto is about humanity, our place in the Universe, and our role in its future. Some of the topics discussed in Eureka Manifesto include interstellar travel, global collaboration, and the grand story of the emergence of complexity and life in the universe.
Yuri Milner is a member of the Giving Pledge. He and his wife joined the Giving Pledge over 10 years ago. In doing so, they committed to supporting fundamental science, scientists, and the spread of scientific ideas.
The Milners’ Giving Pledge has led to the creation of the Breakthrough Prize, the Breakthrough Initiatives, and the Breakthrough Junior Challenge.
What Are the Breakthrough Junior Challenge Prizes?
While the Breakthrough Junior Challenge is all about taking part, there are some exciting prizes on offer. The creator of the winning video receives:
- A $250,000 post-secondary scholarship.
- A $50,000 cash prize for a teacher who inspired them.
- A $100,000 science lab for their school.
What Are the Rules of the Competition?
Anyone who enters the Breakthrough Junior Challenge should read the competition’s official rules. The rules include details about eligibility, how to submit an entry, the selection of the winner, and more.
These are three of the competition’s main rules:
- Anyone between the ages of 13 and 18 can enter from anywhere in the world.
- Each video must be no longer than two minutes.
- Videos must be in English.
What Subjects Have Past Years’ Winning Videos Explored?
Previous Breakthrough Junior Challenge winners’ videos have explored a range of fascinating subjects:
- Light and sleep cycle. 16-year-old Noor Haideri from the U.S. won last year’s Challenge with her life sciences-focused entry. Her winning video explains how blue light affects our sleep.
- Van der Waals and Casimir Forces. 18-year-old Amber Kwok from Mauritius won the competition in 2021. In her video, Amber explains how van der Waals and Casimir forces affect our world at the level of atoms and molecules.
- Quantum tunnelling. 17-year-old Maryam Tsegaye from Canada won the 2020 Breakthrough Junior Challenge with her video on quantum tunnelling. She used clear, bright graphics to explain what happens to particles at the quantum level.
- Neutrino astronomy. 17-year-old Jeffery Chen from the U.S. covered neutrino astronomy in his winning video from 2019. He used sleek animation to bring the tricky concept to life.
- Circadian rhythm. 16-year-old Samay Godika from India won the 2018 Challenge with his video on circadian rhythms. He explained how our body clocks regulate all functions, like alertness, strength, and cell repair.
- Relativity and the equivalence of reference frames. 18-year-old Hillary Andales from the Philippines simplified this complex subject with easy-to-understand examples. Her video won the Breakthrough Junior Challenge in 2017.
- Antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 17-year-old Deanna See from Singapore won the Challenge in 2016 with her video on superbugs and our race against resistance.
- Quantum entanglement. 18-year-old Antonella Masini from Peru won the competition alongside Deanna in 2016. In her video, Antonella explored the phenomenon of quantum entanglement. She also compared quantum physics to magic.
- The special theory of relativity. 18-year-old Ryan Chester’s creative video helped him become the first-ever winner of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. Hailing from the U.S., Ryan used his video to explore Einstein’s famous theory.
How Is the Competition Judged?
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge judges submissions according to four criteria:
- Engagement. Did the video grab the viewer’s attention? Did the viewer want to watch the whole video?
- Illumination. Did the video clearly explain the subject in a way that allowed the viewer to understand the content? Did the video dive deep into the subject?
- Creativity. Did the entrant approach the subject in a creative or innovative way?
- Difficulty. Is the subject of the video challenging? Is the subject usually taught at a secondary school level or above?
What Is the Judging Process?
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge involves a four-stage judging process:
- Peer-to-Peer Review. To qualify for the Challenge, entrants must take part in the Peer-to-Peer Review after submitting their video. In this judging phase, entrants must review and score at least five videos that other contestants have submitted. The competition may also ask entrants to review and score additional videos.
- Evaluation Panel Review. The Evaluation Panel includes some of the world’s leading scholars and scientists. During this phase, the Evaluation Panel reviews the 75 top-scoring videos from the Peer-to-Peer Review. Each of the 75 videos receives an additional five points or more from the Evaluation Panel members.
- Popular Vote. The Breakthrough Junior Challenge invites the world to take part in this phase of the judging process. The top-scoring video in the Popular Vote bypasses the next phase of judging and goes straight to the final round, where the winner selection takes place.
- Selection Committee Review. Finally, a Selection Committee reviews and scores the Evaluation Panel’s top group of finalists. The Selection Committee chooses a maximum of five entries for final consideration. The Popular Vote winner(s) join this group for the final review and selection of the overall Breakthrough Junior Challenge winner.
The 2023 Breakthrough Junior Challenge is currently in the Popular Vote phase of the competition. Anyone can take part in the Popular Vote and help decide who should go through to the final round of the competition or become a Regional Champion.
Check out all 30 of this year’s creative videos in the Popular Vote on Facebook or YouTube. Vote by liking your favourite videos before the 20 Sept. 2023 deadline.
About The Breakthrough Foundation
The Breakthrough Foundation is a charitable organisation that supports science and tech-focused initiatives. Julia and Yuri Milner launched the Breakthrough Foundation in 2012 to help realise their Giving Pledge.
The Breakthrough Foundation sponsors various philanthropic projects, including the Breakthrough Prize, the Breakthrough Initiatives, and Tech For Refugees.
The Breakthrough Prize
The Breakthrough Prize is the world’s biggest scientific award. Each year, the Breakthrough Prize awards multiple $3 million prizes to leading researchers who have made major leaps in fundamental physics, maths, and the life sciences.
The Breakthrough Initiatives
The Breakthrough Initiatives are a group of astronomical and space engineering programmes. These programmes investigate the big questions of life in the Universe, such as whether intelligent life exists beyond Earth.
Tech For Refugees
Tech For Refugees is a non-profit that helps charitable organisations and private companies support the world’s refugees through the power of technology. Tech For Refugees works with several high-profile tech partners, including Uber, Airbnb, Flexport, and Spotify.
