chasm

I'd have to start off with Stephen W. Hawking. Let's face it, the guy is probably the most brillant and innovative cosmologist to walk (roll around) on the Earth since Galileo. I've read three of his books, and while I won't try to claim that I followed everything, I can usually get the gist after re-reading the passage a couple of times (the ability to explain speaks to one's depth of understanding). I think it would be simply fascinating to be able to pick his brain.
And then there's Hillary Putnam. I can think of one word to describe his theories on perception: profound. Perception has always been divided into two camps: realist and anti-realist. I never really totally agree with either, and neither does Putnam. But he can do something I can't: explain the traditional views with clarity and technical proficiency and show where they overlap, and where the gaps are. I'd be all over chatting with him for hours about philosophy, but I'd definitely do more listening than talking!

Ah, this one I can answer. Well, actually, I'm going to have to split my answer because the first two names which pop into my head have died in my lifetime. Firstly, Richard Feynman, one of the most interesting figures in modern physics. While working on the atomic bomb, he spent his spare time picking all the locks in Los Alamos, just to show how easy it was. He invented the Feynman diagram, a way of showing particle interactions on a VERY small scale, then drove around in a van painted with them. He served on the board which indicted NASA on the culture of incompetance which lead to the Challenger disaster. He is one of the major figures in the creation of the field of quantum physics. The second now-dead fellow would have to be Carl Sagan. Sagan was genius for his grasp for the universe as a whole, for his stout defence of the scientific method and his belief in a rational world.

As for still-living minds, who actually ANSWER this particular question... I'll get back to you.

So what you're saying is; in effect, that you cannot answer the question, dispite your assertion in the first sentence? :-)

See you lost me with this question. I was all over the athlete question, but I do not have a clue who those people are that you guys wrote down. I heard the question last night while driving around in a tank and blowing up the pansy on RED. RED or should we say the WHINERS!! I do not get it the game allows you to drive vehicles but when you do everyone complains. If it is such a problem than get rid of the vehicles. I'm sorry didn't mean to go off on a tangent, my point was I have been thinking of who to write since last night. My first person would have to be Charles Beckwith, he was the creator of the ultra-secretive organization called DELTA FORCE. Does it exist?? The second person would be Quentin Tarratino!!!! I love his movies, and just seems like he would be interesting to talk too. My honorable mentions(only because they died) Ronald Reagan, quite a public speaker, and Theodore Roosevelt, what a hunter he was. I read a biography on him and he is probalby one of the interesting people in History. Languorous you might want to go with some of my questions from last night they will definitely add some spice to the blog, and Kel HAHAHAHAHA I got his autograph!!!!

See, J, Feynman was also one of my two choices for most of the reasons you already mentioned. Because of the "living today" stipulation, I'm gonna have to go with Brian Greene (since Gar's already meeting with my boy Hawking). Greene's Elegant Universe was an amazing book. Simple upfront, mind-boggling by the end.

The other person I'd love to chat with is Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman. "Free to Choose" was a great book and, even if you don't agree with his political opinions, it'll sure make you think twice about the world around you.

Honorable mention to John Nash for Mathematics, Economics and a guy who throws parties in his own head. I'd like to meet him AND all the people in his head :-)

OK, to throw in my calls for the "currently living " stipulation, I'm going to have to first off note that Brian Greene was first on my list, mainly because he's the only guy who managed to make string theory work in language I could understand. However, since Tom's grabbed him, I'll look elsewhere.

On a lark, I'll pick up Kurt Vonnegut. Not only are his books fascinating looks at the ways people work, but he's a genuine, insightful, and funny guy. I'd love to be able to pick his brain. And oh yeah; because when he was informed of an internet-famous graduation speech (revolving around sunscreen) which was attributed to him, he said "I didn't think I gave any talk like that, but I wished I had."

Next on my intellectual draft card would have to be a the Dalai Lama, with the Pope a close runner-up. While both are major religious heads who rose from poverty to become symbols for faith, they're quite different in their stories. John Paul (born Karol Wojtyla) overcame the obstacles of being both a humanist Catholic AND a Catholic in Communist-dominated Poland to head the entire faith. Now, I bear a lot of grudges against Catholicism as a faith, but that doesn't change my thoughts on the man. Whether I believe the things he does or not, his brain would be fascinating to pick. That said, he's a runner up purely because I don't think he's having a whole lot of coherent conversations anymore.

The winner, the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso (born Lhamo Dhondrub), was born to a farming family, before his spiritual training was begun. In his lifetime, he has seen the Chinese invade and conquer his land of Tibet, destroying all he loved, yet never lifting a finger in anger to stop them. He now leads the Tibetan Buddhist faith from exile. Similar to the my situation with the Pope, I'm not a Buddhist, and don't ascribe to their ideas of pacifism (despite what my more bloodthirsty friends might think). Nevertheless, a conversation with the Dalai Lama would probably be one of the more rewarding ones on the planet.

That's two references to bloodthirsty and warmongering friends. I had no idea the Fillman's were so violent!

ah, maybe, just maybe, he has war-mongering friends in the city :-)

Nah, I'm pretty sure all artsy people are pacifists by definition. :-)

Well, none of my friends in the city worked for the military-industrial complex the last I checked...

I am with you Tom on the selection of Milton Friedman. The idea that revolutionized economics and came to be known as the Chicago School of Economic Thought was indeed impressive.

However, my main choice should come as no suprise to anyone. It would most definitely be William Blythe III. Bill grew up in the poor town of Hope, Arkansas. Never knew his father due to a car accident before he was born. Lived with and stood up to an abusive step father who mainly beat his mother . Changed his last name to his step fathers simply to show solidarity with a troubled younger brother, Roger. All while making sure to attend church every Sunday since the age of five. Oh yea, he went to church alone almost every time. Bill then went onto become a Rhodes Scholar, Yale law School Alumni and eventually entered politics. At age 32 became one of the nations youngest governors ever. He served five terms and finally, at the tender age of 46, was elected President of the US. Sorry for going on, but I love this guy. To accomplish the feats he did without waivoring is unimaginable to me and I think it would be really awesome to be able to go deep in his mind. Besides Tom, he playes the tenor Saxaphone.

So far people have listed economists, mathematicians, philosophers, authors, even crooked politicians (sorry, Chris), but I will go a slightly different route.

Dave Brubeck, a composer and talented jazz pianist, is my first choice. At 83, he still writes, arranges, and performs. A World War II veteran, this "cool school" pioneer has lived through just about everything the world has to offer. I would love to hear what inspires him, how he writes, and how his music has developed/transformed over the years.

For anyone who is interested, I suggest the albums "Time Out" (the famous 1959 recording sessions which shattered the boundaries of time signature), "One Alone", "Just You, Just Me", "Concert at the Pacific", and "Red Hot Jazz".

My second selection is soon to come...

So this took me quite a while, and Im still struggling to pick one particular person. To be honest, most of the people I would like to meet and talk to are musicians and lyricists. However, in the way the question was worded, I am leaning more towards Bill Gaites. He and his ideas have totally changed the world that we live in. Im sure it would be amazing to meet and talk with someone so innovative. Or at least yell at him for creating Windows 95! hahahaha and yes Chris, I must admit, while I dont really like the former president, or support some of his ideals, his shrewdness is definitely intriguing. For a democrat, he is about as republican as they come. Id love to meet a guy who can lie with such deep sincerity. Course, Id still have to make sure I didnt tell Gar, cause he would spill the beans! HA!