For the last half millennium, scientific curiosity has driven a series of technological revolutions that powers today’s economy and dominates our way of life. About 500 years ago, studies of the motions of the planets and Moon led to mechanics. Mechanics led to the Industrial Revolution. Investigation of electricity, magnetism, and atoms led to the electrification of the planet, computers, cell phones, and a host of modern gadgets. Science now dominates the human experience. Where will today’s discoveries take us in the future? John did his undergraduate studies at the University of California Berkeley and earned his PhD at the University of Massachusetts in 1980. He was a researcher at AT&T Bell Laboratories between 1980 and 1991. He then joined the faculty of the University of Colorado Boulder. He studies the interstellar medium, the formation of stars and planets, and the cosmic cycling and evolution of matter. He is interested in fundamental physics and cosmology. He is an avid skier. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx