Meet The 2010 MacArthur 'Genius Grant' Winners

The famed MacArthur Fellows Program, which awards "Genius" grants to exceptional inventors, innovators and other creative types, has announced 23 new fellows for 2010.

This year's honorees were contacted out of the blue by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and offered $500,000 with no strings attached over the next five years to pursue work in their field of interest.

"This group of Fellows, along with the more than 800 who have come before, reflects the tremendous breadth of creativity among us," said MacArthur President Robert Gallucci [in a press release]. "They are explorers and risk takers, contributing to their fields and to society in innovative, impactful ways. They provide us all with inspiration and hope for the future."

The foundation introduced the 23 fellows by providing a video of each winner and the their important contributions in a vast array of fields.

VIEW THE SLIDESHOW:

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Amir Abo Shaeer: Physics Teacher

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Abo-Shaeer prepares public high school students for careers in science and mathematics, combing applied physics, engineering and robotics.

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Abo-Shaeer prepares public high school students for careers in science and mathematics, combing applied physics, engineering and robotics.

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Comments

[Derek Flood]

07:30 PM on 09/30/2010

That Nicholas "Nick" Benson is certainly going to go places! Long live the John Stevens Shop!

[ufopp]

01:29 PM on 09/30/2010

Great group. Hats off for finding them in the first place.

[ChicagoBob]

08:21 AM on 09/30/2010

Congratulations to you all. Really.

[ResearchtheFacts]

02:22 AM on 09/30/2010

Great!  Creativity is not dead in this age of narrowing choices.  Its encouraging to see others moving on chasing a self chosen goal which netted them funding and recognition for their great work.

Nice article and inspirational. As a creative person I know how they feel!!!

You bury yourself in your work and then you go to market.

[T Pol]

10:32 PM on 09/29/2010

This is a wonderful collection and an inspiration. Kudos to those who made the choices on whom to award, and congratulations to the award winners.

Interesting that there were no Captains of Industry creating minimum wage jobs in there. (Please get the sarcasm so I don't have to do a bunch of replies.)

[merlinspinoza]

02:18 PM on 09/29/2010

maybe suggest to Dawn Song that software hardware desighned by persons with a perfect immune function enlightened " cosmic consciounsness "people might not be susceptible to viruses

MacCarthur fellows have nothing more to gain except to visit mum.edu

[sapid]

02:18 PM on 09/29/2010

Excited to see so many women!

[Kardii]

11:18 AM on 09/29/2010

This gives hope to every kooky unemployed person who spends all day in their tool shed trying to invent the 'latest and greatest' useless piece of garbage to peddle on t.v. at 2:00 in the morning. Seriously though, congrats to all these guys I bet some great things will come out of their hard work.

[proggirl]

11:23 AM on 09/29/2010

I'm glad you added that last sentence. It's important to recognize that artists who are serious about their work put just as much into what they do, if not more, than those popularly considered to be in "real" occupations.

[Kardii]

12:31 PM on 09/29/2010

Thats true, a lot of great inventions and discoveries have been made by people who decided not to fall into the mainstream and take risks/make sacrifices to pursue their dreams.

[ResearchtheFacts]

02:23 AM on 09/30/2010

I guess Thomas Edison would have been considered kooky then?

[Edward Standley]

09:03 AM on 09/29/2010

Nerds are COOL!

[luziannagirl]

08:59 AM on 09/29/2010

After finishing all seasons of "The Wire", and watching the wrap-up interview with creator David Simon, my thought was, "I need more world-class TV like this, but probably won't get it unless this guy Simon finds an angel donor".

Didn't think about an angel donor finding him.

Thank you, MacArthur! You're an angel! Can't wait to rent "Treme"!

[Doktor Zoidberg]

06:15 PM on 09/29/2010

I just finished reading Simon's "Homicide: A Life on the Killing Streets" a short time ago and I can say without a doubt, it is the best detective/crime book I have ever read - and in my top five favorite books of all time. Simon embedded himself with Baltimore homicide detectives for a year and wrote non-fiction that is ten times more compelling than most fiction. Srsly, read it!

[T Pol]

10:28 PM on 09/29/2010

I agree -- The Wire was world class, and you will love Treme.

The authenticity is amazing and educational.

[Figural]

03:41 AM on 09/29/2010

It's not just an award for Americans, there's a Brit in there - Matthew Carter. It's great he's received an award, he's in his 70s - that sends a message! It's especially great because he works in my field; I'm a humble freelance typographer and he's one of my gods. You rock, Mr Carter, the award is so well deserved. Congratulations to all the other recipients too.

[davemartin7777]

02:38 AM on 09/29/2010

What about Christine O'Donnell?

I hear she went to Oxford.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/09/christine-odonnell-lies-about-attending-oxford-university.php

[Jack Crack]

09:22 PM on 09/29/2010

She's getting an award for frivolity and gracelessness, I'm gonna go see that one

[feliznavidad]

08:04 AM on 10/01/2010

Plus she studied witch craft. I think she was in Palin's coven.

[in4success]

01:20 AM on 09/29/2010

great! a black man with a genius grant! twenty-seven t-baggers heads just exploded.

[UU]

06:41 AM on 09/29/2010

Actually, there are 3 African Americans who won the prestigious grants, this year.

[latoussaint]

08:40 AM on 09/29/2010

And one of the filmmaker recipients who made one of my all-time favorite films, "The Killer of Sheep", Charles Burnett, won one, over twenty years ago. If this didn't start in '81, there would be many more Black genius awards, think of all the Black inventions? Dr. Drew who came up with the idea of a "blood bank", that is genius. Hmmm... let's see: http://inventors.about.com/od/blackinventors/Famous_Black_Inventors.htm

[feliznavidad]

08:06 AM on 10/01/2010

Well -- among the teabaggers -- their one brain exploded.

[armadillious2002]

12:31 AM on 09/29/2010

I invented an unlimited fuel source from Jalapeno jelly but nobody seemed to be interested.

[Jack Crack]

09:24 PM on 09/29/2010

It's the collection of the fuel that ruins your invention

[feliznavidad]

08:06 AM on 10/01/2010

Yeah -- but it causes you car to have heartburn. I'm so tired of being passed up for this award. They're just jealous.

[Loffee]

11:57 PM on 09/28/2010

I know how to make an awesome bowl of Cheerios!

Just kidding, I'm a complete looser compared the these people. I'm going to go cry now.

[Loffee]

12:01 AM on 09/29/2010

Loser...hehehe see, I told you.

[davemartin7777]

02:08 AM on 09/29/2010

Nah, I'll bet you mean the world to someone, even if it's a pet.

[Loffee]

04:17 PM on 09/29/2010

Thanks for your encouragement! Actually I was trying to be comedic, and the stories really motivate me.

P.S. my sons really like me, but my cat only see's me as a meal ticket and an automatic door opener..hehehe. I got to get me one of them cat door thingys.