Curious about global affairs? Economic and political trends? Climate change? Terrorism? How to make a mean meatloaf?

Just ask Fareed Zakaria because we're convinced thathe knows everything. 

He's a TV host, award-winning columnist, and best-selling author. A graduate of Yale and Harvard, he was the youngest managing editor of Foreign Affairs at the ripe young age of 28. 

He's been described as "the most influential policy adviser of his generation." And his work? "Relentlessly intelligent." Plus, he's funny! He was one of Jon Stewart 's all-time favorite guests on The Daily Show.

Fareed Zakaria will be a featured panelist at The Next Big Thing — Zakaria on Sat., Oct. 3 at 8PM at The Bushnell.

WATCH him on the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
FOLLOW him on Twitter — Zakaria 
READ his columns at The Washington Post 

If anyone knows about the next big thing, it's Joichi "Joi" Ito.

An entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and tech expert with accolades that range from "Cyber Elite" to "Top Global Thinker," Ito is perhapsthe authority on the business and development of technology.

Ever heard of Twitter? Flickr? Kickstarter? Ito was an early investor. 

Ever heard of Mediated Matter? Biomechatronics? Synthetic Neurobiology? Yeah, neither did we. But as director of the uber think tank known as MIT Media Lab — Ito, Ito knows all about the cutting edge research and innovations that will transform our world. Think: wearable computing; stackable, electric cars for sustainable cities; advance imaging technologies that can "see around a corner."

Penny for your thoughts, Joi?

Joi Ito will be a featured panelist at The Next Big Thing — Ito on Sat., Oct. 3 at 8PM at The Bushnell.

WATCH his TED Talk
FOLLOW him on Twitter — Ito
CHECK OUT the MIT Media Lab — Ito Link

Virginia Heffernan writes about the most influential and least understood medium of our time: the Internet. 

To her, it's not merely a new technology or business tool. It's a cultural object, a collaborative work of art with "its own rules, conventions, implications." In her writing, she helps us rethink the Internet: its enormity, its effect on society, and our place in it.

Heffernan has been a columnist at Yahoo! News, a contributor to The New York Times Magazine — Heffernan, and a former editor at Harper's and Slate. Her new book, Magic and Loss: The Internet as Art, debuts in March 2016.

Virginia Heffernan will be the moderator for The Next Big Thing — Heffernan on Sat., Oct. 3 at 8PM at The Bushnell.

READ her features in The New York Times Magazine — Heffernan Link
CHECK OUT her forthcoming book, Magic and Loss
FOLLOW her on Twitter — Heffernan