VISIONARIES, INNOVATORS, AND THOUGHT LEADERS JOIN SCI FI TO LAUNCH NEW BLOG

Sir Richard Branson, Renowned Theoretical Physicist Michio Kaku, Leading Futurist Edie Weiner, and Actor Anton Yelchin Share Their Perspectives on the Future on howyoucansavetheworld.com

NEW YORK � August 4, 2008 � As part of SCI FI's Visions For Tomorrow public affairs program, an initiative utilizing the power of science fiction to create a more optimistic vision for the future, SCI FI Channel launches its new blog howyoucansavetheworld.com. The blog will be a destination for remarkable ideas from today's most sought-after visionaries, innovators, and thought leaders and will provide new viewpoints to battle the challenges our society faces today and the effect they have on tomorrow.

"SCI FI's blog howyoucansavetheworld.com is a balance between commentary and reporting and provides real perspectives from today's most inventive minds on how to positively impact the future," said Dave Howe, President, SCI FI. "SCI FI's goal is to inspire individuals, organizations, and corporations to take the first steps in shaping future choices by joining the conversation."

Howyoucansavetheworld.com launches with several posts discussing everything from space exploration and innovation by Sir Richard Branson, chairman of the Virgin Group; Michio Kaku, co-founder of the string field theory, talks about energy consumption and its effect on civilization; leading futurist Edie Weiner blogs about the future of education; while actor and environmentalist Anton Yelchin discusses his obsession with prairie dogs in Albuquerque, New Mexico, while on the set of Terminator Salvation.

Topics range from the upcoming Presidential election to the state of public education to the media's role in the future.

The Upcoming Presidential Election: "When it comes to stem cells, climate change, renewable energy, teaching evolution in biology classes, there are real issues that the public is confused about and that have, therefore, become politicized. We owe it to the candidates and to the electorate to hear the views of our next President, who will mold his Administrative team around those views." -- Neal Lane, Malcolm Gillis University Professor at Rice University who served as White House science advisor under President Clinton

Public Education: "Improving our public education system is the great social experiment of this age, as important as the civil rights and suffragette movements were to earlier generations. Improvements must start with individual teachers and classrooms, as they did earlier with segregated lunch counters and men-only voting booths." --James Daly, editorial director of Edutopia, the George Lucas Educational Foundation

The Media's Role in the Future: "The media can also play a catalytic role by showing imaginative, inspiring visions of where science and dreams can take us, both here on Earth and in the frontiers beyond. Our better future is not a boring, pristine utopia, but a dynamic world full of drama: human desires and emotions, relationships and passions, aspirations and fears." -- Peter Schwartz, internationally renowned futurist, co-founder and chairman of Global Business Network

The list of contributors also includes experts from the worlds of science, technology, design, journalism, film, television, business, government, and future studies: Jamais Cascio, environmental futurist, science-fiction game designer, and co-founder of WorldChanging.com; John Deutch, Institute professor at MIT, former director of the CIA, former deputy secretary of the Department of Defense, and former undersecretary of the Department of Energy; Esther Dyson, Internet guru and noted analyst in emerging technologies and emerging markets; Jeff Hoffman, Former NASA astronaut on five Space Shuttle missions and professor of astronautics at MIT; Dave Howe, President, SCI FI Channel; Shaun Jones, internationally recognized expert and published author in advanced technology development, naval surgeon and bio-terrorism expert; Dean Kamen, inventor, entrepreneur, and science advocate who invented the Segway� human transporter; John Podesta, President and CEO of the Center for American Progress; served as chief of staff to President Clinton; Lee Schipper, Co-director of EMBARQ, the Center for Sustainable Transportation and the World Resources Institute in Washington DC; Rusty Schweikart, space and satellite consultant, former NASA astronaut; and Steve Weber, professor of political science and director of the Institute of International Studies at the University of California, Berkeley will all contribute to the blog.

SCI FI Channel is a television network where "what if" is what's on. SCI FI fuels the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies and classic science fiction and fantasy programming, as well as a dynamic Web site (www.scifi.com) and magazine. Launched in 1992, and currently in 93 million homes, SCI FI Channel is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies.