2007 : WHAT ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC ABOUT?

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2007 : WHAT ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC ABOUT?

New Prospects of Immortality Marvin Minsky Mathematician; computer scientist; Professor of Media Arts...	Computer Scientist; 1st Generation Artificial Intelligence Pioneer, Stanford University John Mccarthy Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University
Evolutionary Biologist, Rutgers University; Coauthor, Genes In Conflict: The Biology of Selfish Genetic Elements Robert Trivers Evolutionary Biologist; Professor of Anthropology and...	CEO, Managing Director, Intellectual Ventures; Former Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Corporation; Physicist, Paleontologist,Photographer, Chef Nathan Myhrvold CEO and Managing Director, Intellectual Ventures; Co-Author...
Cosmologist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Recipient, The Nobel Prize For Physics 2006; Coauthor, Wrinkles in Time George Smoot experimental astrophysics and observational cosmology	Psychologist, University of Texas, Austin; Author, The Murderer Next Door David M. Buss Professor of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin;...
Founder and CEO, Neoteny Joichi Ito Director, MIT Media Lab; Coauthor (with Jeff Howe),...	Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Diego Beatrice Golomb Professor of Medicine at UCSD
Physicist, String Theorist, Columbia University; Author, The Fabric of the Cosmos Brian Greene Co-founder of the World Science Festival and Chairman,...	Science Journalist; Co-author, Why Good Things Happen To Good People Jill Neimark Science Journalist; Co-author, Why Good Things Happen To...
President, The Royal Society; Professor of Cosmology & Astrophysics; Master, Trinity College, University of Cambridge; Author, Our Final Century: The 50/50 Threat to Humanity's Survival Martin Rees Former President, The Royal Society; Emeritus Professor of...	Journalist, La Stampa; Italy Correspondent, Science Magazine Francesco DePretis Journalist, La Stampa; Italy Correspondent, Science Magazine
Physicist and Nobel Laureate; Director Emeritus, Fermilab; Coauthor, The God Particle Leon M. Lederman Director emeritus of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory	Psychologist, Harvard Medical School & Harvard Universityâ€™s Mind/Brain/Behavior Initiative; Author, Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty Nancy Etcoff Psychologist and faculty member of the Harvard Medical...
Biologist; Cloning Researcher; Roslin Institute, Edinburgh; Coauthor, The Second Creation Ian Wilmut Chair of Reproductive Biology, Director Scottish Centre for...	Senior Editor, Discover Magazine; Adjunct Professor, Science Journalism, NYU; Author: God in the Equation: How Einstein Transformed Religion Corey S. Powell Senior Editor, Discover Magazine; Adjunct Professor,...
Quantum physicist, Oxford University; Author, The Fabric of Reality David Deutsch Physicist, University of Oxford; Author, The Beginning of...	Director, The Institute for Biocomplexity and Informatics, The University of Calgary; Author, At Home in the Universe Stuart A. Kauffman Professor of Biological Sciences, Physics, Astronomy,...
Philosopher, School of Advanced Study, University of London; Coeditor, Knowing Our Own Minds Barry C. Smith Professor & Director, Institute of Philosophy School of...	Cofounder and Director, The Science Network; Neuroscience Researcher, Center for Brain and Cognition, UCSD; Coauthor, The Origin of Minds; Creator PBS Science Programs Roger Bingham Cofounder and Director, The Science Network; Neuroscience...
Chief News and Features Editor, Nature; Author, Mapping Mars Oliver Morton Chief News and Features Editor	Co-founder, Wikipedia Larry Sanger Co-founder of Wikipedia and Citizendium
Neuroscientist, Stanford University, Author, A Primate's Memoir Robert Sapolsky Neuroscientist, Stanford University; Author, Behave	Electrical Engineer, USC; Author, Noise Bart Kosko Information Scientist and Professor of Electrical...
Evolutionary Biologist, Reading University, England Mark Pagel Professor of Evolutionary Biology, Reading University, UK;...	Physicist; Albert Einstein Professor of Science, Princeton University; Coauthor, Endless Universe: A New History of the Cosmos Paul J. Steinhardt Albert Einstein Professor in Science, Departments of...
Writer; Futurist; Author, Passionate Minds David Bodanis Writer; Futurist; Author, Einstein's Greatest Mistake	Founder, Whole Earth Catalog, cofounder; The Well; cofounder, Global Business Network; Author, How Buildings Learn Stewart Brand Founder, the Whole Earth Catalog; Co-founder, The Well; Co-...
Geochronologist Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley Garniss Curtis Geochronologist Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley	Editor in Chief, Wired Magazine; Author, The Long Tail Christopher J. Anderson Curator, TED conferences, TED Talks; author, TED Talks
Computer Scientist, MIT Media Laboratory Alex "Sandy" Pentland Professor of Computer Science, MIT; Director, MIT...	Professor of Philosophy, Edinburgh University; Author, Being There: Putting Brain, Body and World Together Again Andy Clark Professor of Cognitive Philosophy, Department of Philosophy...
Psychologist; Richard Clarke Cabot Professor of Social Ethics, Harvard University Mahzarin Banaji Department Chair; Richard Clarke Cabot Professor of Social...	Science Writer; Author, Us and Them: Understanding Your Tribal Mind David Berreby Journalist; Author, Us and Them
Physicist, Dartmouth College; Author, The Prophet and the Astronomer Marcelo Gleiser Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy, Dartmouth College...	Artificial Life Researcher; Creator of Lucy, a Robot Babay Orangutan; Author, Creation: Life and How to Make It. Steve Grand Founder, Cyberlife Research; author, Creation: Life and How...
Cultural Revolution Correspondent, Washington Post; Author, Radical Evolution Joel Garreau Principal, The Garreau Group	Biologist; Climatologist, Stanford University; Author, Laboratory Earth Stephen Schneider climatologist, is a professor in the Department of...
Artist; Composer; Recording Producer: U2, Talking Heads, Paul Simon; Recording Artist Brian Eno Artist; Composer; Recording Producer: U2, Coldplay, Talking...	Entrepreneur in Action, Sequoia Capital Jason Calacanis Internet Entrepreneur; Angel Investor
Physicist, Stanford University; Author, The Cosmic Landscape Leonard Susskind Felix Bloch Professor in Theoretical Physics, Stanford;...	Archaeologist, University of Bradford; Author, The Buried Soul Timothy Taylor Jan Eisner Professor of Archaeology, Comenius University in...
Psychologist, Stanford University; Author, The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil Philip Zimbardo Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Stanford University;...	Computer Scientist and Musician Jaron Lanier Computer Scientist; Musician; Author, Who Owns The Future?
Physicist, MIT; Recipient, 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics; Author, Fantastic Realities Frank Wilczek Physicist, MIT; Recipient, 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics;...	Editor, Release 1.0; Trustee, Long Now Foundation; Author, Release 2.0 Esther Dyson Investor; Chairman, EDventure Holdings; Executive Founder,...
Chief Executive, Medical Research Council;Waynflete Professor of Physiology, University of Oxford Colin Blakemore Chief Executive, Medical Research Council;Waynflete...	Evolutionary Biologist, Charles Simonyi Professor For The Understanding Of Science, Oxford University; Author, The God Delusion Richard Dawkins Evolutionary Biologist; Emeritus Professor of the Public...
Science fiction novelist; Blogger; Technology activist; Co-editor, Boing Boing Cory Doctorow Science fiction novelist; Blogger; Technology activist; Co-...	Psychologist; Director, Quality of Life Research Center, Claremont Graduate University; Author, Flow Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Psychologist; Director, Quality of Life Research Center,...
Physicist, Computer Scientist; Chairman, Applied Minds, Inc.; Author, The Pattern on the Stone W. Daniel Hillis Physicist, Computer Scientist, Co-Founder, Applied...	Psychologist, London School of Economics; Author, Seeing Red Nicholas Humphrey Emeritus Professor of Psychology, London School of...
Johannes Gutenberg-UniversitÃ¤t Mainz; Author, Being No One Thomas Metzinger Professor of Theoretical Philosophy, Johannes Gutenberg-...	Physicist, currently at CERN Maria Spiropulu Shang-Yi Ch’en Professor of Physics, California Institute...
Science Editor, The Daily Telegraph; Coauthor, After Dolly Roger Highfield Director, External Affairs, Science Museum Group; Co-author...	Professor of Psychology, Provost, Senior Vice President, Tufts University Jamshed Bharucha Psychologist; President Emeritus, Cooper Union
Research Professor, Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University; Author, Why We Love Helen Fisher Biological Anthropologist, Rutgers University; Author, Why...	Human Genome Decoder; Director, The J. Craig Venter Institute J. Craig Venter A leading scientist of the 21st century for Genomic...
Student, MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms; Researcher, Internet 0, Fab Lab Thinner Clients for South Africa, Conformal Computing David Dalrymple Research affiliate, MIT Media Lab	Professor, Claremont McKenna College; Past-president, American Psychological Association; Author, Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities Diane F. Halpern Professor, Claremont McKenna College; Past-president,...
Social and cognitive scientist; Directeur de Recherche, CNRS, Paris; Author, Rethinking Symbolism Dan Sperber Social and Cognitive Scientist; CEU Budapest and CNRS Paris...	Neuroscientist; Director, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Lab, UCLA Marco Iacoboni Neuroscientist; Professor of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral...
Physicist, Arizona State University; Author, The Cosmic Jackpot Paul Davies Theoretical physicist; cosmologist; astro-biologist; co-...	University of Vienna and Scientific Director, Institute of Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, Austrian Academy of Sciences Anton Zeilinger Nobel laureate (2022 - Physics); Physicist, University of...
Technology Forecaster; Consulting Associate Professor, Stanford University Paul Saffo Technology Forecaster; Consulting Associate Professor,...	Scientist; Spanish Television Presenter; Author, The Happiness Trip Eduardo Punset Scientist; Spanish Television Presenter; Author, The...
Chief Curator, Utah Museum of Natural History; Associate Professor, University of Utah; Host, Dinosaur Planet TV series Scott Sampson President & CEO, Science World British Columbia;...	Social & Technology Network Topology Researcher; Adjunct Professor, NYU Graduate School of Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) Clay Shirky Social & Technology Network Topology Researcher;...
Consultant, Adaptive Optics; Adjunct Professor of Anthropology, University of Utah Gregory Cochran Consultant; Adaptive Optics and Adjunct Professor of...	Computer Scientist, Brandeis University Jordan Pollack Professor and Chairman of Computer Science, Brandeis...
Psychologist, MIT; Author, Evocative Objects: Things We Think With Sherry Turkle Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of...	Physicist, MIT; Author, FAB Neil Gershenfeld Physicist, Director, MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms;...
Physicist, UC Irvine; Author, Deep Time Gregory Benford Emeritus Professor of Physics and Astronomy, UC-Irvine;...	Columnist, Vanity Fair; Author, Autumn of the Moguls Michael Wolff Author, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House;...
Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Seed Adam Bly Head of Advanced Analytics, Spotify	Psychologist, New York University; Author, The Birth of the Mind Gary Marcus Professor of Psychology, Director NYU Center for Language...
Director, MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL); Chief Technical Officer of iRobot Corporation; author Flesh and Machines Rodney A. Brooks Panasonic Professor of Robotics (emeritus); Former Director...	Mathematician, Computer Scientist; CyberPunk Pioneer; Novelist; Author, Lifebox, the Seashell, and the Soul Rudy Rucker Mathematician; Computer Scientist; Cyberpunk Pioneer;...
Philosopher and Researcher, Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique; Author, Text-E: Text in the Age of the Internet Gloria Origgi Philosopher and Researcher, Centre National de la Recherche...	Computer Scientist, UC Berkeley, School of Information Marti Hearst Computer Scientist, UC Berkeley, School of Information;...
Computational Neuroscientist, Salk Institute, Coauthor, The Computational Brain Terrence J. Sejnowski Computational Neuroscientist; Francis Crick Professor, the...	Neurobiologist and Psychiatrist, University of California San Francisco; Author, Better Than Prozac Samuel Barondes Professor of Neurobiology and Psychiatry, UCSF; Author,...
Science Writer; Founding chairman of the International Centre for Life; Author, Francis Crick: Discoverer of the Genetic Code Matt Ridley Science Writer; Fellow, Royal Society of Literature and the...	Physicist, MIT; Researcher, Precision Cosmology Max Tegmark Physicist, MIT; Researcher, Precision Cosmology; Scientific...
Futurist, Business Strategist; Cofounder. Global Business Network, a Monitor Company; Author, The Long Boom Peter Schwartz Futurist; Senior Vice President for Global Government...	Computer Scientist, Yale University; Chief Scientist, Mirror Worlds Technologies; Author, Drawing Life David Gelernter Computer Scientist, Yale University; Chief Scientist,...
Science Writer; Consultant; Lecturer, Copenhagen; Author, The Generous Man Tor Nørretranders Writer; Speaker; Thinker, Copenhagen, Denmark	Philosopher, Harvard University; Author, Betraying Spinoza Rebecca Newberger Goldstein Philosopher, Novelist; Recipient, 2014 National Humanities...
Open Source Programs Manager, Google Inc.; Editor, Open Sources: Voices From the Open Source Software Revolution and Open Sources 2.0 Chris DiBona Open Source and Public Sector, Google	Researcher of PirahÃ£ Culture; Chair of Languages, Literatures, & Cultures, Professor of Linguistics and Anthropology, Illinois State Universi Daniel L. Everett Linguistic Researcher; Dean of Arts and Sciences, Bentley...
Inventor and Technologist; Author, The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology Ray Kurzweil Principal Developer of the first omni-font optical...	Psychologist, University of California, Irvine Elizabeth Loftus Psychologist, University of California, Irvine
Psychologist & Computer Scientist; Engines for Education Inc.; Author, Making Minds Less Well Educated than Our Own Roger Schank CEO, Socratic Arts Inc.; John Evans Professor Emeritus of...	Feuilleton (Arts & Ideas) Editor, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Munich Andrian Kreye Editor-at-large of the German Daily Newspaper, Sueddeutsche...
Professor Emeritus, Senior Research Scientist, Department of Chemistry, New York University; Author, Planetary Dreams Robert Shapiro Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and Senior Research...	Evolutionary Psychologist, University of New Mexico; Author, The Mating Mind Geoffrey Miller Evolutionary psychologist, NYU Stern Business School and...
Psychologist; Founder of Gottman Institute; Author (with Julie Gottman), And Baby Makes Three John Gottman Psychologist; Co-founder, The Gottman Relationship...	Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Director, Center for Computational Genetics George Church Professor, Harvard University; Director, Personal Genome...
Neuroscience Researcher; Author, The End of Faith Sam Harris Neuroscientist; Philosopher; Author, Making Sense	Quantum Mechanical Engineer, MIT, Author, Programming the Universe Seth Lloyd Professor of Quantum Mechanical Engineering, MIT; Author,...
Research Associate, Psychology, Harvard University; Author, The Alex Studies Irene Pepperberg Research Associate & Lecturer, Harvard; Author, Alex...	Psychiatrist, University of Michigan; Coauthor, Why We Get Sick Randolph Nesse Research Professor of Life Sciences, Director (2014-2019),...
Co-editor, Boing Boing; Research Affiliate, Institute for the Future; Editor-at-Large, MAKE: David Pescovitz Co-editor, BoingBoing.net	Biologist, Schumacher College, Devon, UK; Author, How The Leopard Changed Its Spots Brian Goodwin Professor of Biology at Schumacher College
CEO, Biotechonomy; Founding Director, Harvard Business School's Life Sciences Project; Author, The Untied States of America Juan Enriquez Managing Director, Excel Venture Management; Co-author (...	Software and Design Pioneer. Kai Krause Software Pioneer; Philosopher; Author, A Realtime...
Ophthalmologist and Neurobiologist, University of California, Davis Leo M. Chalupa Neurobiologist; Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology,...	Neuroscientist, Chairman, Board of Directors, Human Science Center and Department of Medical Psychology, Munich University, Germany; Author, Mindworks Ernst Pöppel Head of Research Group Systems, Neuroscience and Cognitive...
Cosmologist, Tufts University; Author, Many Worlds In One Alexander Vilenkin Professor of Physics and Director of the Institute of...	Physicist, Institute of Advanced Study, Author, Disturbing the Universe Freeman Dyson Physicist, Institute of Advanced Study; Author, Disturbing...
Independent Investigator and Theoretician; Author, No Two Alike: Human Nature and Human Individuality Judith Rich Harris Independent Investigator and Theoretician; Author, The...	Senior Editor, Newsweek; Author High Rise Jerry Adler Senior Editor, Newsweek
Professor, The University of Washington School of Medicine; Author, A Brain For All Seasons William H. Calvin Theoretical Neurobiologist; Affiliate Professor Emeritus,...	Psychologist and Skeptic; Author, Consciousness: An Introduction Susan Blackmore Psychologist; Visiting Professor, University of Plymouth;...
Physicist, University of Pennsylvania; Author: Faust In Copenhagen: A Struggle for the Soul of Physics Gino Segre Professor of Physics & Astronomy, University of...	Psychologist, Harvard University; Author, Wet Mind Stephen M. Kosslyn Founding Dean, Minerva Schools at the Keck Graduate...
Physicist, Harvard University; Author, Warped Passages Lisa Randall Physicist, Harvard University; Author, Dark Matter and the...	Physicist, Perimeter Institute; Author, The Trouble With Physics Lee Smolin Physicist, Perimeter Institute; Author, Einstein's...
Former VP, Microsoft & Co-Founder & Director, Microsoft's Virtual Worlds Group/Social Computing Group Linda Stone Hi-Tech Industry Consultant; Former Executive at Apple...	Professor of Journalism, New York University; formerly journalist, Science magazine; Author, Zero: The Biography Of A Dangerous Idea Charles Seife Professor of Journalism, New York University; Former...
Director, the Center for Science Writings, Stevens Institute of Technology; Author, Rational Mysticism John Horgan Director, Center for Science Writings, Stevens Institute of...	Editor-in Chief, Nature Philip Campbell Editor-in-Chief of Nature since 1995; Beginning summer 2018...
Psychologist and Neuroscientist, University of Maryland; Author, Laughter Robert Provine Professor Emeritus, University of Maryland, Baltimore...	Media Analyst; Documentary Writer; Author, Get Back in the Box : Innovation from the Inside Out Douglas Rushkoff Media Analyst; Documentary Writer; Author, Throwing Rocks...
The Rise of Autism and the Digital Age Simon Baron-Cohen Professor of Developmental Psychopathology, University of...	Science Historian; Author, Project Orion George Dyson Science Historian; Author, Analogia
Psychologist, University of Virginia Jonathan Haidt Social Psychologist; Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical...	Biologist; Geographer, UCLA; Author, Collapse Jared Diamond Professor of Geography, University of California Los...
Cognitive Scientist, UC, Irvine; Author, Visual Intelligence Donald D. Hoffman Cognitive Scientist, UC, Irvine; Author, The Case Against...	Philosopher; University Professor, Co-Director, Center for Cognitive Studies, Tufts University; Author, Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon Daniel C. Dennett Philosopher; Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, Co...
Collector, Contemporary African Art; High-Tech Ecological Researcher & Director, Liquid Jungle Lab, Panama Jean "Johnny" Pigozzi Investor, art collector, philanthropist, photographer	Psychologist, Harvard University; Author, Five Minds for the Future Howard Gardner Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education, Harvard...
Mallinckrodt Research Professor of Physics and Research Professor of History of Science, Harvard University; Author, Thematic Origins of Scientific Thought Gerald Holton Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and Professor of the...	Psychologist, University of Pennsylvania, Author, Authentic Happiness Martin Seligman Professor and Director, Positive Psychology Center,...
Senior Consultant (and Former Editor-In-Chief and Publishing Director), New Scientist Alun Anderson Senior Consultant (and former Editor-in-Chief and...	Communications Expert; Author, Smart Mobs Howard Rheingold Communications Expert; Author, Smart Mobs
Classicist; Cultural Historian; Provost, Georgetown University; Author, Augustine: A New Biography James J. O'Donnell Classics Scholar, University Librarian, ASU; Author, Pagans	Curator, TED Conference Christopher J. Anderson Curator, TED conferences, TED Talks; author, TED Talks
Writer; Author, Machines That Think Pamela McCorduck Author, Machines Who Think, The Universal Machine, Bounded...	Mathematician; Executive Director, Center for the Study of Language and Information, Stanford; Author, The Millennium Problems Keith Devlin Mathematician; Executive Director, H-STAR Institute,...
Science Editor, The Economist Geoffrey Carr Science Editor	Physicist, Universite' de la Mediterrane' (Marseille, France); Author: What is time? What is Space? Carlo Rovelli Theoretical Physicist; Aix-Marseille University, in the...
Publisher of Skeptic magazine, monthly columnist for Scientific American; Author, Why Darwin Matters Michael Shermer Publisher, Skeptic magazine; Monthly Columnist, Scientific...	Professor of Astrophysics, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton Piet Hut professor of astrophysics at the Institute for Advanced...
Psychologist; Author, Social Intelligence Daniel Goleman Psychologist; Author (with Richard Davidson), Altered Traits	Physicist, former President, Weizmann Institute of Science Haim Harari Physicist, former President, Weizmann Institute of Science...
Social Psychologist, Hope College (Michigan); Author, A Quiet World: Living with Hearing Loss David G. Myers Professor of Psychology, Hope College; Co-author,...	Journalist, The Guardian; Author, The Darwin Wars Andrew Brown Journalist, The Guardian
President & CEO, Aspen Institute. Former CEO, CNN, Managing Editor, TIME; Author, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. Walter Isaacson President and CEO of the Aspen Institute; author, Steve...	Editor-At-Large, Wired; Author, New Rules for the New Economy Kevin Kelly Senior Maverick, Wired; Author, What Technology Wants and...
Psychologist, Harvard University; Author, The Blank Slate Steven Pinker Johnstone Family Professor, Department of Psychology;...