TEL AVIV, Israel, May 21 /PRNewswire/ --

- Seven Winners Share $3 Million in Prizes

The seven 2008 Dan David Prize laureates, including Al Gore and Sir Tom Stoppard, were recognized for their impact on the world at a ceremony held May 19 at Tel Aviv University. Israeli President Shimon Peres gave the keynote address.

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Laureates were selected based on their activities in the three time dimensions of past, present and future.

Sharing the $1 million prize in the field of Creative Rendering of the Past - Literature, Theater, Film are filmmaker Atom Egoyan, author Amos Oz and playwright Stoppard.

- Oz (Arad, Israel) was honored for his works emphasizing the individual and exploring conflicts between two nations. - Stoppard (London) was recognized for being a master playwright whose plays return rapidly to the past as part of his ceaseless search for meaning in a bewildering universe while demonstrating farcical cleverness alongside profound humanity. - Egoyan (Toronto) was noted for his exploration of the human impact of historical events and the nature of truth and its representation through art.

Gore received the $1 million prize for his present work in Social Responsibility with Particular Emphasis on the Environment, due to his contribution to creating greater worldwide awareness of global climate change.

Three geoscientists were recognized with the $1 million Dan David Prize for their research affecting the future:

- Geoffrey Eglinton (University of Bristol, United Kingdom) for his studies of organic chemical fossils, which reveal the climates of ancient worlds and the implications for tomorrow. - Ellen Mosley-Thompson and Lonnie G. Thompson, (Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio) for their separate and joint efforts in studying the geological and environmental records in ice cores and how these records assist in predicting future geological events.

"Climate change is one of today's most pressing issues and recognizing four of the seven winners in this area helps bring additional focus on the crisis," said Mr. Dan David, who founded the prize. "As we look toward saving our future, we cannot forget our past, and that past as portrayed in the arts is especially forceful - thus our prize for the past focuses on this area."

The Dan David Prize annually awards three prizes of US$1 million each for achievements with an outstanding scientific, technological, cultural or social impact on our world. The Prize is headquartered at Tel Aviv University and is named after international entrepreneur and philanthropist Dan David.

For more information visit http://www.dandavidprize.org. Press Contact: Ms. Amy Kenigsberg K2 Strategic Innovations Tel/Fax +972-9-794-1681 (+2 GMT) US Tel/Fax +1-913 440 4072 (+7 ET) amy@k2-si.com Dan David Prize Office Tel: +972-3-6406614/5 Fax: +972-3-6406613 ddprize@post.tau.ac.il

Press Contact: Ms. Amy Kenigsberg, K2 Strategic Innovations, Tel/Fax +972-9-794-1681 (+2 GMT), US Tel/Fax +1-913 440 4072 (+7 ET), amy@k2-si.com