Who are the people in our society who are truly shaping our culture?

[Jim Glynn]

Today, the people who are shaping the future of our society are the innovators in the fields of microbiology, miniaturization, biotechnology, and electronics. Politically, Barack Obama may emerge from his second term with accomplishments that rival Bill Clinton or even come close to Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

You really can't have a meaningful discussion about change at the end or the twentieth century and beginning of the twenty-first century without mentioning Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Bill Gates. The Internet, which was influenced by Al Gore (really), has reshaped communications. Social media, like Facebook and Twitter may prove to be equally important.

NASA's research into space and James Cameron's descent to the deepest part of the ocean will also have dramatic effects on our future.

Right now, however, we don't have many social activists like Martin Luther King, Lenny Bruce, or any of the leaders of the 1960's movements for equality.