This is how you create breakthroughs, bringing a range of eclectic people together. A composer is working on a program [with computer scientists] capable of composing anything from ring tones to opera.

We went back to the drawing board and took a belt-and-suspenders approach to protect the identity and privacy of Americans.

When I turned 50, I took a look at the bigger picture. Until then, I developed technology to build companies, but now I want to advance technology to make a difference for people.

In many ways, it's a business. You have to strike a balance between having academic freedom and doing different types of research, and having the work sponsored by companies that want to see research commercialized. At the media lab, we may have to go a step further than we've done in the past and build prototypes with sponsors.

I am especially excited about giving computers common sense. Computers should be able to understand the emotions of humans. As computers begin to understand the human world, they can help us far more efficiently.

State and Homeland Security are still resolving if this will be a proximity or distance read.

Three years ago we received 7 million applications. This year, we project 13 million applications. Next year, 15 million.