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The American Philosophical Society (APS) recently announced its 2026 class of new members. Academia Sinica President James C. Liao has been elected to the Class of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, becoming one of the few international scholars selected this year. APS elects no more than 10 scientists worldwide each year in this class, underscoring the distinction and significance of this honor. Election to the APS recognizes outstanding scientific achievements, intellectual contributions to the world, original insights into the philosophy of science, and their positive impact on society.
Academia Sinica’s Taiwan Bridges Program welcomed its tenth lecture yesterday (April 23), featuring Professor Takaaki Kajita, recipient of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics and Professor at the Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, the University of Tokyo. Speaking on “International Collaboration in Basic Science: From My Experience,” Professor Kajita shared how science can transcend national and cultural boundaries to promote understanding and cooperation. Drawing on examples from neutrinos and gravitational waves, he illustrated how humanity continues to expand the frontiers of our understanding of the universe.
Quantum Processing Units (QPUs) are the core of superconducting quantum computers. Academia Sinica is actively advancing scalable and reliable fabrication technologies for superconducting QPUs. A key step toward this goal is the implementation of high-throughput, iterative testing on large-scale QPUs. To overcome the limitations of traditional calibration methods, Academia Sinica has recently collaborated with NVIDIA to leverage the NVIDIA Ising family of AI models, developing AI-driven automated calibration technologies. This approach significantly improves testing efficiency and system scalability, laying the foundation for large-scale quantum chip development.
The ninth lecture in Academia Sinica’s TAIWAN BRIDGES program was held yesterday (April 7), featuring Professor Kurt Wüthrich, recipient of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In his lecture, titled “The Molecules of Life, AI and Human Health,” Professor Wüthrich shared the technological breakthroughs that enabled the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to determine the structures of biological molecules, as well as the application of these advances in precision medicine. He also noted that amid the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and accelerating technological change, the ability to keep learning and adapting has become an essential quality. The event drew a full house, with more than 400 researchers and students in attendance.
The eighth lecture in Academia Sinica’s TAIWAN BRIDGES program featured Professor Edvard I. Moser of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, recipient of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. In his lecture, titled “The Brain’s GPS: How We Know Where We Are,” Professor Moser explored the mysteries of how the brain constructs its system for spatial cognition.
Achieving net-zero emissions is a key priority and widely anticipated by Taiwanese society. How to accelerate the broad application of scientific research to society and enhance human well-being has become an important challenge in the next phase of net-zero research. Academia Sinica, in collaboration with the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, has for the first time organized the “2026 Net-Zero Technology Business Plan Competition.” Stanford students developed commercialization proposals based on Academia Sinica’s net-zero technologies, using Taiwan’s energy transition as the context. The final round was held today (March 27) at Academia Sinica. All teams performed exceptionally well and were closely matched. Ultimately, CorePower and Century EGS were jointly awarded first place.
A research team led by Academician Chien-Jen Chen, Distinguished Research Fellow at the Genomics Research Center of Academia Sinica, in collaboration with the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) and several universities in Taiwan, has completed a large-scale, 20-year study on breast cancer risk assessment. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in March 2026.
Where do the stars in the universe come from? During the most active era of star formation, what conditions allowed galaxies to continuously produce vast numbers of stars? Dr. Yi-Kuan Chiang, an Assistant Research Fellow at the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA), has made the first cosmic-scale measurement of the background glow produced by carbon emission lines. His study finds that, during the peak epoch of star formation, the amount of molecular gas in the universe might have been nearly twice that of previous estimates. This result not only fills an important gap in our understanding of the cosmic matter cycle but also reveals the key driving force behind the birth of stars. The findings were published in Nature Astronomy in early March 2026.
The seventh lecture of Academia Sinica’s TAIWAN BRIDGES program took place yesterday (2), featuring Dr. Sir Gregory P. Winter, Fellow of Trinity College, University of Cambridge, and recipient of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Speaking on the theme “The Antibody Revolution”, Sir Gregory elaborated on how antibody drugs evolve from fundamental scientific research through engineered innovation toward clinical application, and provide an outlook on the future trajectory of the antibody field.
Quantum computing is now moving from the laboratory toward a new phase of engineering development and industrialization. At today’s (26) Academia Sinica Lecture, Academia Sinica welcomed the 2025 Nobel Laureate in Physics, Dr. John Martinis, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, to deliver a keynote address titled “Quantum Computing’s Industrial Revolution: From Lab to Fab”. In his lecture, Professor Martinis analyzed the critical challenges facing quantum computing as it advances toward engineering scalability and real-world industrial applications. The event drew a capacity audience of more than 400 distinguished representatives from academia, research institutions, and the technology industry, sparking dynamic and wide-ranging discussion throughout.
TAIWAN BRIDGES〉What Is Life?Nobel Laureate Dr. Sir Paul Nurse Explores the Five Fundamental Principles of Living Systems
The fifth lecture of Academia Sinica’s TAIWAN BRIDGES Program welcomed Dr. Sir Richard J. Roberts, recipient of the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, who delivered a lecture entitled “Why You Should Love GMOs?” Drawing on decades of engagement with the debate surrounding genetically modified organisms (GMOs), Sir Richard traced the origins of his advocacy and outlined the actions he has taken over the years, urging the public to evaluate genetically modified crops through the lens of scientific evidence rather than fear or misinformation
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