Bonnie Fleming is an atom smasher, a.k.a., neutrino physicist. Neutrinos are fundamental particles of the universe that are similar to electrons but do not carry a charge. Fleming studies their properties by observing how they respond in particle detectors.

Alex Seropian is the man synonymous with the game Halo, which helped establish the Xbox for serious gamers. Seropian started writing games in high school and majored in math at the University of Chicago.

As the medical director of the Chicago Fire Soccer Team, Dr. Gilberto Munoz combined his two lifelong passions of soccer and medicine into his current profession.

Andrew Jacobson wears several hats in his specialty of isotope geochemistry. The field incorporates the chemical, physical and biological processes of elements and their isotopes as they’ve existed in their various periods on earth.

Tracy Caldwell was a high school student in Arcadia, California when Christa McAuliffe was chosen as the first teacher to go into space. McAuliffe served as an inspiration for Caldwell to pursue a career in space. The Space Shuttle Challenger accident in 1986 didn’t deter Caldwell from pursuing her dreams. After receiving her doctorate in physical chemistry, she was selected by NASA for training and in August 2007 she fulfilled her childhood dream by flying on the Space Shuttle Endeavor.

Benjamin Alvin Drew began his career in the United States Air Force Academy, where he trained to become a pilot. He served in several military missions, including: Just Cause, Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and Operation Provide Comfort. Selected by NASA as a Mission Specialist, Drew flew in mission STS-118 on the Space Shuttle Endeavor in August 2007.

Barbara Morgan first came to national prominence in 1985 when she trained alongside Christa McAuliffe as part of NASA’s Teacher in Space Project. After the Challenger accident, Morgan resumed her career as an elementary school teacher in McCall, Idaho, but she continued her affiliation with NASA by speaking with groups and serving on various task forces. More than two decades later, Morgan fulfilled a lifelong dream by serving as a Mission Specialist on STS-118 in August 2007.

Pilot and astronaut Buzz Aldrin served as the Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 11 which landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969. He was the second person to step on the Moon, following Neil Armstrong. Armstrong was selected by NASA as part of its third group of astronauts in 1963. He has logged a total of more than 289 hours in space. Prior to NASA, Aldrin served as a jet fighter pilot for the United States Air Force during the Korean War.

A pioneer in the development of private space exploration, Peter Diamandis is the force behind several space-related organizations, including the X PRIZE Foundation whose mission is "to bring about radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity."

Michael Winters is an engineering and technology teacher at Gabrielino High School. He created an Eco-Fuel Research Project to help teach his students about the possibilities of alternative fuels. His work with students has drawn accolades, including winning one of BP's A+ for Energy grants to teach about energy and energy conservation in the classroom. He believes that "understanding yesterday's technology impacts to use today's technology for creating tomorrow's technology."

A Contributing Editor at WIRED Magazine, Joshua Davis is a journalist, author and filmmaker. In addition to WIRED, his work has been published in magazines ranging from GQ, to Outside to Men's Health. As a filmmaker, his documentary, The Beast Within, won Best Documentary at the Telluride Mountain Film Festival. His first book, The Underdog, documented his many attempts at outlandish competitions.

A professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Southern California, Clifford Johnson is part of the international effort to understand and explain the origins of the universe. In 2005, Johnson was awarded the Maxwell Medal and Prize by the Institute of Physics for his contribution to "string theory, quantum gravity and its interface with strongly coupled field theory."

In 2006, Anousheh Ansari soared into space as a spaceflight participant with the Russian space program. She became the first female private space explorer and the first astronaut of Iranian descent to go into space. To encourage advancements in space exploration, Anousheh and her family provided title sponsorship of the Ansari X PRIZE. Ansari started her own telecommunications company, Telecom Technologies, which she sold for hundreds of millions of dollars. Ansari is currently the co-founder and CEO of Prodea Systems.