Kate Hudson handed out Oscars for Scientific and Technical achievement over the weekend:

Scientists who develop the film, software and other technology behind the movies gathered for a Scientific and Technical awards ceremony at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel before the main Oscar pageant on March 23. Most years a young starlet presents the awards to predominantly male winners.

Hudson kept her floor-length black gown closed, aside from a flash of bare midriff that was assured by the gown's design, as she handed out awards for mind-bending and tongue-twisting accomplishments. She did present half the awards in bare feet after kicking off her high heels.

Frenchman Pierre Chabert was one of the few to coax a congratulatory kiss from Hudson, now starring in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," when he received an award for developing helium balloons with internal light sources that illuminate sets during filming.

Other scientific and technical awards went to developers of the leelium tubelite used in some lighting balloons, software animation engineers who have learned to mimic the effect of light bouncing off objects, and audio engineers fluent in computerese.

....Camera makers Arnold & Richter Cine Technik, developer of the Arriflex, and Panavision Inc. also got Oscars, while lifetime achievement awards went to Curt Behlmer for feats such as "modern non-linear digital signal processing" and to lighting engineer Richard Glickman.

Hudson cut through the techno-babble for her summation, though. "Thank you for everything you do that continues to advance what I do," she said to great applause. [Reuters]