Cool Jobs

Peter Diaczuk is a leading authority in forensics and an expert witness on firearms, trace evidence, and crime scene reconstruction. He has performed research on topics as diverse as underwater fingerprints, blood spatter patterns from gunshot wounds, and bullets ricochetting from different surfaces. He is Director of Forensic Science Training at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Sylvia Earle is an oceanographer, marine botanist, ecologist, and writer. The National Geographic Society's explorer-in-residence since 1998, she tirelessly works for the preservation and exploration of the world's marine ecosystems. She has led more than 50 expeditions and spent more than 6,500 hours of her life underwater.

Christopher McKay is a planetary scientist at NASA Ames Research Center and a co-investigator for NASA's Phoenix Mars Mission, scheduled to land on Mars in May 2008. In addition to studying the atmospheres and environments of far-away planets , he uses Earth's extreme environments such as the Antarctic, Siberia and the Canadian Arctic in order to learn about possibilities for human habitation of other planets and to plan for future manned missions to Mars and the Moon.

Laurie Santos is a cognitive psychologist who studies monkeys' capacity for learning and the evolution of the human mind. She is an Associate Professor of Psychology and director of the Comparative Cognition Laboratory at Yale University, and was named one of Popular Science Magazine's "Brilliant 10" for 2007.

Walt Disney Imagineer Ben Schwegler invents and builds new technologies that make theme parks and resorts the stuff of dreams and adventure. The creator of the Simulation-based Design Group, he is particularly interested in the development of sustainable engineering techniques. He was instrumental in the creation of the most energy efficient theme park ever built as well as a new generation of environmentally-friendly fireworks.

Bill Weir is the Emmy award-winning co-anchor of the weekend edition of Good Morning America. His reporting is seen onWorld News with Charles Gibson, Nightline and 20/20. He has covered major events all over the world including a 2007 Earth Day special with unprecedented underwater reporting from the Great Barrier Reef.