As a boy, Fred Kavli watched the aurora borealis from his family's farm. Surrounded by the mountains and fjords of rural Norway, Kavli often contemplated the mysteries of the natural world. Even after becoming a successful entrepreneur, Kavli never stopped considering the unknown. Today, after making millions from his research into complex electronic sensors, Kavli is funding a broad range of cutting-edge scientific research, becoming one of the most forward-thinking benefactors of 21st-century science, finding -- and funding -- scientists who are solving the most complex puzzles in the universe. "The Nobel Prize is doing an excellent job," says Kavli. But he intends his awards to be different. While the Nobel Prizes are retrospective, honoring scientists who have made their contributions long ago, the Kavli Prizes are distinctly forward-looking.
