Linux creator and stem cell pioneer share tech's $1.5 million 'Nobel'
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Two leading international innovators, Linus Torvalds and Shinya Yamanaka, have shared this year's euro1.2 million ($1.5 million) Millennium Technology Prize.
Torvalds, a Finnish-American, was presented the prize for creating the Linux kernel, an open source operating system used in millions of computers. Yamanaka, from Japan, was cited for his discovery of a new method to develop stem cells, which has helped scientists in medical research.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto presented the prize to the two winners in Helsinki on Wednesday.
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The Finnish government and local industry initiated the biennial award in 2004. Previous winners include Japan's Shuji Nakamura for inventions in laser technology and LED lighting, and Tim Berners-Lee for inventing the World Wide Web.