Obama Awards Science and Technology Medals

Obama, a big fan of science, awards medals in science, technology and innovation. Obama touts science and education, solicits help with Sasha's science fair project, and says 3% of gross domestic product will go toward research and development. Tonight at the White House, Obama, school kids and scientists will partake in a night of astronomy. See the list of recipients here.

The longer version (speech and handing out medals):

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Obama to Honor Scientists Oct. 7

Physicist Stephen Hawking receiving the Medal of Freedom in July

Update Oct 7: Watch video of the ceremony here

Update Oct 7: The award ceremony starts at 1:30 pm eastern. Live streamed at cnn.com, msnbc.com or whitehouse.gov/live

President Obama today named nine eminent researchers as recipients of the National Medal of Science, and four inventors and one company as recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honors bestowed by the United States government on scientists, engineers, and inventors. The recipients will receive their awards on October 7 at a White House ceremony..... "These scientists, engineers and inventors are national icons, embodying the very best of American ingenuity and inspiring a new generation of thinkers and innovators," President Obama said. "Their extraordinary achievements strengthen our nation every day—not just intellectually and technologically but also economically, by helping create new industries and opportunities that others before them could never have imagined."

This year’s recipients are:

National Medal of Science
Dr. Berni Alder, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA
Dr. Francis Collins, National Institutes of Health, MD
Dr. Joanna Fowler, Brookhaven National Laboratory, NY
Dr. Elaine Fuchs, The Rockefeller University, NY
Dr. James Gunn, Princeton University, NJ
Dr. Rudolf Kalman, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich
Dr. Michael Posner, University of Oregon, OR
Dr. JoAnne Stubbe, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA
Dr. J. Craig Venter, J. Craig Venter Institute, MD & CA

National Medal of Technology and Innovation
Dr. Forrest M. Bird, Percussionaire Corp., ID
Dr. Esther Sans Takeuchi, University at Buffalo, SUNY, NY
Team: Dr. John E. Warnock and Dr. Charles M. Geschke (Adobe Systems Inc., CA)
Company: IBM Corporation, NY

WH