A panel of science writers talked about their interest in science, the probability that science will lead us to a hopeful future, and the politicization of science by the government. Mr. Duncan moderated the discussion. Following their remarks, the panelists responded to questions and comments from members of the audience. Richard Rhodes is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Making of the Atomic Bomb, published by Simon and Schuster. Michael Pollan, director of the Knight Program in Science and Environmental Journalism, is the author of The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World; published by Random House. Michael Chorost is the author of Rebuilt: How Becoming Part Computer Made Me More Human, published by Houghton Mifflin. James Calder is the author of the science-based Bill Damen Mysteries Series. David Ewing Duncan is the author of The Geneticist Who Played Hoops with My DNA : And Other Masterminds from the Frontiers of Biotech, published by William Morrow and Calendar: Humanity's Epic Struggle to Determine a True and Accurate Year, published by Bard.