W. Daniel (“Danny”) Hillis

Danny Hillis is an inventor, entrepreneur, and scientist who pioneered the development of parallel computers to enable artificial intelligence. He was the principal architect of the Connection Machine, which was the subject of his MIT PhD thesis, and co-founded Thinking Machines Corporation. Hillis also co-founded Applied Invention, an interdisciplinary group of engineers and scientists that develops technology solutions in partnership with other companies. His current projects are focused on agriculture, cyber security, and better tools for deciding what to believe. He is also the designer of the 10,000- year Clock of the Long Now.