Ray Kurzweil: Inventor, Futurist and Author of 'How to Create A Mind'

For decades pioneering inventor and theorist, Kurzweil has explored how artificial intelligence can enrich and expand human capabilities. Now, he takes this exploration to the next step:  reverse-engineering the brain to understand precisely how it works, then applying that knowledge to create vastly intelligent machines.

Drawing on the most recent neuroscience research, his own research and inventions in artificial intelligence, and compelling thought experiments, Kurzweil describes his new theory of how the neocortex (the thinking part of the brain) works: as a self-organizing hierarchical system of pattern recognizers. He shows how these insights will enable us to vastly extend the powers of our own mind and provides a roadmap for the creation of superintelligence-humankind's most exciting next venture.

We are now at the dawn of an era of radical possibilities in which merging with our technology will enable us to effectively address the world's grand challenges.