In 2021, science and tech investor Yuri Milner published his short book Eureka Manifesto: The Mission for Our Civilisation. The book argues that a collective, worldwide mission is essential for humanity’s long-term survival. A mission for humanity could ensure our continued progress, help us overcome global challenges, and create a better world for all.
Humanity’s Collective Mission
When humans work together, we are capable of achieving great things. From making scientific discoveries to delivering humanitarian aid, large organizations demonstrate our unique ability as a species to collaborate on a massive scale.
However, Milner explains that our civilization as a whole is “much less coherent.” In the Eureka Manifesto, he notes that ” on a planet with abundant resources, we struggle to marshal them to solve our shared problems.”
Each year, global agriculture produces four million metric tonnes of food. If shared fairly, this amount could feed one billion more people than exist today. However, the World Food Programme estimates that over 300 million people face acute food insecurity in the 72 countries where it operates.
Widespread hunger is one of many global issues humanity currently faces. Other crises include water scarcity, mass displacement, and climate change.
Milner believes a common goal can inspire humanity to work together to solve our shared problems. He proposes that our mission should be to explore and understand our Universe. This mission speaks to our birthright as children of the cosmos — sentient beings capable of thinking, imagining, and reasoning.
A mission of exploration and understanding would primarily drive scientific and technological progress. Milner explains that, in turn, this progress would improve the quality of life for all and create a more unified and enlightened global society.
The Power of Collaboration
Eureka Manifesto contains a five-step action plan to advance our mission. Two steps involve celebrating scientists as heroes and investing resources into fundamental science and space exploration. By doing this, we can collectively encourage a science-focused culture in which life-changing discoveries are more likely to occur.
Milner and his wife Julia co-founded the Breakthrough Prize in 2012 to celebrate scientists on a global stage. At $3 million, the prize is the world’s largest for rewarding cutting-edge research in the life sciences, fundamental physics, and mathematics. It recognizes individual and group achievement and highlights the power of collaboration to advance science.
An annual gala award ceremony, which viewers can watch online, honors the Breakthrough Prize laureates in style. Many celebrities attend the event, lending their spotlight to shine on the world’s top researchers. Milner paid tribute to Albert Einstein at the 2024 ceremony for his pioneering theories that helped us invent the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Through his Breakthrough Initiatives, Milner has also invested resources into space exploration and fundamental science. This set of space science programs investigates the biggest questions of life in the Universe, such as whether extraterrestrial intelligence exists.
The Breakthrough Initiatives are an excellent example of the power of global collaboration. The programs are advancing our understanding of the cosmos by pooling expertise and knowledge from leading scholars and organizations. One program, Starshot, is even developing technologies for deep space exploration.
Building A Better Tomorrow Together
Milner believes humanity can build a better tomorrow only if we work together now.
“All of us can play a part in advancing the mission to explore and understand our Universe,” Milner writes. The Scientific Revolution and enlightenment of the past were created by scientists like Galileo and the wider culture that inspired and nurtured them.”
By “supporting or even just embracing the mission,” we can “provide the fuel to accelerate the Scientific Revolution to unprecedented speeds and kindle a new Enlightenment that shines far into the future.”
Read more about humanity’s shared mission in Yuri Milner’s Eureka Manifesto.
About Yuri Milner
Billionaire Yuri Milner made his fortune by founding DST Global, one of the world’s leading internet investment companies. He signed the Giving Pledge in 2012 and established the Breakthrough Foundation to help realize his lifetime commitment to philanthropy. The charitable foundation funds projects like the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, an annual global science competition for students.
