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Uploaded: Thursday, February 21, 2013, 9:30 AM                                             

Nonprofit including Zuckerberg, Brin gives $33 million in prizes
Money awards breakthrough research in life sciences

by Eric Van Susteren
Palo Alto Weekly Staff

Posted by Thank you, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Feb 21, 2013 at 9:39 am

Best news of the day. Humanity thanks you.

Posted by George, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Feb 21, 2013 at 10:08 am

Nice to see the young billionaires starting to discover philanthropy. There are many more important causes than extending human lifespans further. Hopefully they dig a bit deeper in the future and address more pressing issues with their giving.

Posted by Dave, a resident of another community, on Feb 21, 2013 at 10:17 am

Aethlon Medical of San Diego, CA can filter from blood using a new medical extracorporeal device many viruses….such as Hepatitis C, SARS, HIV, West Nile, Dengue Fever, H5N1, Ebola, Marburg, Anthrax, CMV plus cancer exosomes that seed creation and spread of cancer. DARPA has asked them to research sepsis. This young R&D corporation will save many lives. They are doing “compassionate” assistance now in India on hard to treat Hepatitis C patients. Check out the web site and medical presentations.

Posted by How about helping to solve real issues, a resident of the Green Acres neighborhood, on Feb 21, 2013 at 12:28 pm

Extending human life? How about funds to help improve the quality of existing lives with basic needs- like - - reducing homelessness; hunger, unemployment; and improving mental health treatment and issues surrounding equality.

Posted by palo alto mom, a resident of the Embarcadero Oaks/Leland neighborhood, on Feb 21, 2013 at 1:06 pm

This is wonderful!

@How about helping... people should feel free to donate to the causes they view as important - if you actually read the article, the will be giving money to cancer research and other diseases.

Posted by Think twice, a resident of the Greater Miranda neighborhood, on Feb 21, 2013 at 3:25 pm

Extending lives is not such a good idea....it usually means more years with less money, or more years in a nursing home.

How about donating to causes that IMPROVE QUALITY of life, such as curing chronic disease or better controlling it.

I expect Zuck to have flawed judgment, but usually the Brins use more thought.

Posted by palo alto mom, a resident of the Embarcadero Oaks/Leland neighborhood, on Feb 21, 2013 at 3:48 pm

What part of "prizes to recognize research in life science aimed at CURING DISEASE and lengthening human life" is unclear?

Posted by Alice Schaffer Smith, a resident of the Green Acres neighborhood, on Feb 22, 2013 at 10:22 am

Public policy considerations -

(a) should any individual (or family) have a right to accumulate such vast amounts of money?

(b) if a company rewards its corporate leaders with stock options and high salaries, should there be some formula which equalizes the working people's salaries and other entitlements so that they are rewarded as much as the so-called corporate leaders?

Posted by palo alto mom, a resident of the Embarcadero Oaks/Leland neighborhood, on Feb 22, 2013 at 10:46 am

Alice -

a) yes people/families should be allowed to be wealthy - especially when they donate to causes that can benefit others (and incidentally, build companies that provide jobs)

b) corporate leaders are often over-paid, but we are a capitalist society, not a socialist one.

Should be have public policies that support:

Health care for all, with the problem of medical bill related bankruptcy (perhaps eliminating the idea the not for profit medical entities actually can have a profit?) MD Anderson made a 26% profit last year Web Link

Better family policies (the US is one of the only countries without paid maternity leave)

Better educational funding with better pay for teachers and eliminating unions that prevent excellent teachers from making more?

Instead of penalizing the successful, perhaps we could focus on allowing more people to be successful without society induced road blocks.

Posted by musical, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Feb 22, 2013 at 1:21 pm

Wait a minute, it's not their money. They raise it by selling their shares to people like you and me in the public market. It's our money they are giving away.

Posted by palo alto mom, a resident of the Embarcadero Oaks/Leland neighborhood, on Feb 22, 2013 at 4:05 pm

Musical - No one is forcing you or any one else to buy shares in a publicly traded company - once they "sell shares to people like you and me in the public" it's their money and it's your stock. Don't like the company, don't buy the stock.

Posted by local, a resident of the Green Acres neighborhood, on Feb 23, 2013 at 5:02 pm

I think this is really lovely! My only criticism is, I think they should have just called it the Zuckerberg-Brin-Wojcicki Prize.

I have now shared this article with several people, and each time wanted to include an actual link to their foundation - I had to look up the name each time because it doesn't stick in my mind! In fact, if you told me I could win $3M right this moment by giving you the whole name without looking....ungh....argh.... I know everyone is sensitive to coming across as aggrandizing, but this is an extraordinarily generous gesture and they should be remembered for it!

Perhaps as a gesture of gratitude, the rest of us should just call it that.