24 MacArthur awards -- Will edgier philanthropists make millionaires of obscure geniuses?
1:24 AM Wed, Sep 26, 2007 | Permalink
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2007 MacArthur Foundation grant winners
Latest in the line of 756 since 1981, most (all?) of the newest Fellows seem accomplished and significant already. They're professors and scientists, doctors, a couple of musicians and painters and a dancer. Anybody would be delighted at the recognition and $500,000 over five years, no strings attached. It beats winning "Queen for a Day." I drool. Significantly absent, anyone working in Web technology, journalism, politics, economics, architecture, philosophy -- the human connections. There's a ton of money at the top now, enough to build out in those areas, enough that dozens of John Beresford Tipton re-enactors could amuse themselves by sending Stephen Anthony out with million-dollar checks for people who could "make important contributions in the future" if they didn't have to get up and go make money at something else every day. I hope there are genius philanthropists who'll ferret out shy, obscure alt-geniuses without position or portfolio, give them a dose of fertilizer and watch what happens. Who would you suggest they give the upgrades to? 
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