Additional Biographical Details
History
1950: Born - Glendale, California.
1973: Bachelor of Science - Caltech (astrophysics).
1973-1977: Research Engineer - Hughes Aircraft Research Labs (semiconductors/CCDs).
1975-1977: Masters in Electrical Engineering from UCSD (optics).
1980-1981: Managing editor - Journal of the Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition (UCSD)
1981: Doctor of Philosophy, University of California - San Diego - UCSD (space physics).
1982-1985: Teaching Physics & Writing @ San Diego State University. Technical consulting.
1982-1985: Associate/Post-Doctoral Fellow - California Space Institute, UCSD, La Jolla, CA.
1988-1990: Visiting Scholar: Center for Study of Evolution of Life, Jet Propulsion Lab, NASA NSCORT for Exobiology.
1990-: Keynote speaker and consultant for more than 200 government and corporate groups. Member, board of advisors of several corporations and nonprofit institutions. Cast member, writer, participant in popular science television and radio shows. Author of fiction and nonfiction books, translated into more than 20 languages.
2010-: External adviser for NASA's Innovative and Advanced Concepts group (NIAC).
2013-: Co-founder: Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination.
2013-: Visiting Scholar in Residence, UCSD.
2015 (autumn): Visiting Scholar in Residence at Bard College.
Honors and Offices
2017 and 2016 Top Quora Writer
2015 Potomac Institute Navigator Award for pioneering explorations of possible paths into the future
2015 The first annual National Endowment for the Humanities/Hannah Arendt Center Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Bard College
2013 The Zoia Horn Intellectual Freedom Award of the California Library Association
UCSD Distinguished Alumnus
Member of the External Council for NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program (2011- )
Advisory Board of Planetary Society, 1997-, Opion Corp., Blastoff! Corp., Center for Responsible Nanotechnology
2007 Guest of Honor, World Science Fiction Convention, Yokohama Japan
2000 Freedom of Speech Award of the American Library Association, McGannon Communication Policy Research Award for The Transparent Society
Nominee/Winner of Hugo International Science Fiction Achievement Award (^=winner, *=2nd Place)
Novel Category - 1984^, 1986*, 1988^, 1991*, 1993, 1996, 2002*
Novella Category - 1984* & 1985*
Novelette Category - 1987*
Short Story Category - 1985^ & 1989
Nominee/Winner of Nebula Award, Novel Category - 1984^, 1986 & 1988
Winner of Locus & John W. Campbell awards for best novel, 1986
Locus for best novel, 1988; Best single author collection, 1995
1982-84 Secretary: Science Fiction Writers of America
1982 Nominee for John W. Campbell award for best new author
Advisory Boards and Fellow Positions
NASA Innovative and Advance Concepts program
The Planetary Society
XPrize Foundation
The Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination
B612 Foundation
The Museum of Science Fiction
Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies
Nanome Inc.
Memberships
Center for Responsible Nanotechnology
Lifeboat Foundation
Foresight Institute
Philanthropy Forum
Prediction Markets Forum
Speculation Speakers (co-founder)
Strategic News Service
Future in Review
Public Speaking and Consulting
Keynote speaker at more than 200 meetings, conferences, corporate retreats and other gatherings. (See speaking engagements for details.)
Clients include:
Top level corporate talks at Google, Microsoft, IBM, GE, Viacom, Boeing, PayPal, Procter & Gamble, Qualcomm, SAP, LaBatt, Imation, Mitre, Swissnex, FiRe — Future in Review Conference (yearly since 2001), TTI/Vanguard, Service Industry Association, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca, SAIC, and many others.
Defense-related consultations for the U.S. Air Force, CIA, National Reconnaissance Office, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Sandia National Laboratory, "Out of the Box" Pentagon-Potomac Institute Brainstorm, Five Highlands Group conferences, Strong Angel III, Los Alamos Labs, Defense Information Systems Agency, U.S. Navy.
Information age issues: Government Communications/Info Officers' Summit '98, Library & Information Technology Association, American Library Association, Danish IT Security Council, University of Michigan School of Information Science, Woodrow Wilson Center, IPv6 Conference, MIT Media Lab, Harvard University Law School, ACM Computer Human Interface Conference, Zurich Privacy/Security Symposium, Global Privacy Summit.
Scientific Trends: US Academy of Engineering, International Conference on Complex Systems, American Association for Clinical Chemistry, NASA Conference on Exobiology, American Astronomical Society, Southern California Academy of Science, Oregon Psychological Society, Skeptic Society, Biocom, Planetary Society, Supercomputing and Petaflops Conferences, TED-MED, Future of Medicine Conference, Space Development Conference, Rutgers University, California Institute of Technology, UCSD, and numerous scientific conferences.
Future Social/Political Trends: Privacy Briefing for Congressional Staff, Progressive Policy Institute, Border Research & Technology Center, United Nations Association, World Bank International Conference on Credit Reporting, Bar Association Conference on Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Education-Related: Society of Science Educators, Library of Congress Speaker Series, MENSA Regional Gathering, UCSD Foundation, Project Inkwell.
Literary Matters: American Library Association, Saroyan Conference, Santa Barbara Writers' Conference, "1984: Orwell & Our Future" - U.Chicago Law School, and numerous literary or genre conventions.
Media and Punditry
"Explorations, station" and "NASA's Unexplained Files" (2013 through 2015)
Numerous interviews on Space, Science and information/privacy issues for BBC World Service and NPR (2000 through 2015)
"The Prophets of Science Fiction" - SCI (2012)
"Alien Encounters" - SCI (2012)
Larry King Show (with Michio Kaku & Dan Ayckroyd) re "Are aliens a threat?" (2010)
"First Apocalypse: What Really Killed the Dinosaurs?" - History Channel (2009)
"The Universe" (several episodes) History Channel winter/spring (2008)
"Life After People" (2008) (highest rated show ever on the History Channel)
"Beyond Belief: Enlightenment 2.0" Science Network (2007)
"The ArchiTECHS" - History Channel (2006) (to purchase a copy of the program, visit the online store)
We, the Writer - Directed by Michael Gregory (1996)
Cosmic Thoughts - directed by Mark Young (2003)
"Monster of the Milky Way" - NOVA (PBS) (2006)
Televised panel on Internet Ethics for Teens, ITV & EthiCal (2006)
"Surfing the Internet: Who's Watching? Who's Censoring?" University of San Diego Center for Ethics in Science & Technology - KPBS radio (2006)
History Channel: ArchiTechs (Principal Cast member)
CBS Sunday Morning
Tactical to Practical (History Channel)
Modern Marvels (History Channel)
Voice of America Live
Fast Forward
TechNation
"Beyond Human" (PBS)
Closer to Truth
Life on the Internet
"Prisoners of Gravity"
Sightings
Future Quest BBC Tomorrow's World
BBC's "Hyperspace" (hosted by Sam Neill)
Beyond the Galaxy
Science of the Impossible: Future Body (2001 5-part series)
And numerous morning shows and talk radio appearances
Inventions and Patents
"Interactive communication between a plurality of users." USPTO: 7,124,372 -- October 17, 2006. (126 claims) Adapting for use online a number of characteristics of real world conversation, including the ability to participate in, perceive, control, glean subtleties and prioritize attention online.
Games and Other Diversions
TRIBES. A game about life & reproduction 50,000 years ago. Steve Jackson Games. 1998.
GURPS Uplift. Legendary role-playing supplement.
Kiln Wars. Game version of Kiln People, reserved from Paramount film contract.
ECCO THE DOLPHIN. Created scenario for advanced version of popular computer game. 1998 Dreamcast.
The Exorarium. Simulates the origin and evolution of life, in order to teach topics ranging from astronomy to biology and climatology to sociology. www.exorarium.com.
