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Top Universities:

1. King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals - 15

2. Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University - 10

3. University of California - 7

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology - 7

5. Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University - 5

6. University of Minnesota - 5

7. University of Texas System - 5

8. Harvard College - 5

9. The Florida International University - 5

10. Seoul National University R&DB Foundation - 5

This vast web of connections traces much of today’s scientific excellence back to foundational figures. Notably, 668 laureates can trace their academic roots to Emmanuel Stupanus, an early intellectual influence, while 228 find a link to Lord Rayleigh, the Nobel-winning physicist of 1904.

While this "familial" clustering has slightly decreased in recent years, hinting at a broader spread of transformative insights, the tradition of mentorship endures. The Nobel Prize’s legacy is evolving, likely a reflection of the modern academic landscape’s diversification and the growing complexity of collaborative research. This shifting academic family tree reveals scientific excellence’s enduring nature, now shaped by an increasingly interconnected and expansive intellectual community.

What is the shortest time (Grant Date minus Application Date) in which a patent has been granted?

Please scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to find out.

After joining Google in 2000 as one of its early employees, Shazeer worked on several groundbreaking projects, including improving the search engine's spelling correction and developing AI systems designed to achieve human-level intelligence.

In 2021, after Google declined to release a chatbot he had developed, Shazeer left to co-found Character.AI with fellow Google engineer Daniel De Freitas. Character.AI gained significant attention, raising $150 million in 2022 and being valued at $1 billion, but faced challenges in scaling its business model. The startup offered users the opportunity to interact with chatbots simulating practical advice and even personalities like Elon Musk.

Despite these hurdles, Shazeer’s talent remained in high demand. In a major deal, Google agreed to pay around $2.7 billion to license Character. AI's technology, with Shazeer returning to Google as part of the arrangement. He now serves as Vice President at Google, playing a leading role in the development of its next-generation AI platform, Gemini.

Throughout his career, Shazeer has maintained a vision of AI as a tool with the potential to significantly impact society, from addressing loneliness to solving complex knowledge problems. Despite stepping away from his startup, he remains at the forefront of AI innovation, influencing the future trajectory of one of the most powerful tech companies in the world.

Congratulations to last week's Centurion Patentors!
We are excited to welcome the following inventors into these prestigious patent clubs:

For more info about their research & patents click here.

The answer is: