The intro

The moderator is Joe Palca, science correspondent for National Public Radio and host of the weekly show Joe’s Big Idea.

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The panelists

Pictured (l–r, back–front):

• Martin Chalfie: Shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein, GFP.
• Elissa A. Hallem: neurobiologist, received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2012.
• H. Robert Horvitz: Received the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research on the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans.
• Cato Laurencin: received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2016
• W.E. Moerner: shared the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of super-resolved fluorescence microscopy.
• Dianne Newman: microbiologist, received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2016.

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The view from the adult seats

The student finalists and observers sit in the black chairs on the floor of the auditorium, closer to the stage. The adults (teachers, parents, etc.) sit in the back in raised chairs.