Genevieve Bell

Genevieve Bell thinks about people. She travels the world studying us -- how we think, how we live, and what place technology has in our lives. This year, the Stanford-educated anthropologist is doing that in her homeland, as a "Thinker in Residence" for the government of South Australia, and she's using technology to gauge how people use technology. "I am running a reverse blog," she says, "asking citizens to share their stories of how technology affects their lives." (Those without Web access can submit stories by postcard.) The lessons she learns could be coming soon to a gadget near you. -- Ellen McGirt