Posted on Feb 23, 2011

Panel Discussion hosted by Aaron Brown as part of the National Academy of Sciences Grand Engineering Challenges initiative.

Panelists:

  • Thomas Friedman, New York Times columnist, author of The World is Flat and Hot, Flat, and Crowded
  • Bernadine Healy*, U.S. News & World Report columnist, former head of the National Institutes of Health and the American Red Cross
  • Ray Kurzweil*, Chairman and CEO, Kurzweil Technologies, author of The Singularity is Near (participating via video conference from China)
  • Daniel Sieberg, CBS News science and technology correspondent

How do we more effectively communicate the Grand Challenges, and the steps necessary to address them, to the public?

Representatives of the presidential campaigns of Sens. Obama and McCain, journalists, and members of the National Academy of Engineering’s committee on the “Grand Challenges for Engineering” participated in a lively discussion of how to encourage action on this century’s greatest engineering challenges and opportunities. The participants agreed that if met, any of the 14 challenges would improve life around the world.

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