The MacArthur Foundation awards grants each year to unusually gifted artists and scientists and thinkers. These awards (informally called "Genius Awards") recognize important work or research uniquely improving humankind or our understanding of nature.

In awarding a financial grant, with no conditions, they're really giving these individuals the time and money to think and work and do things.

Here are some recipients:

• Robert Sapolsky - you can watch this professor explain the biological foundation of human behavior and individuality.
  


• Julie Taymor - Produced a movie version of Shakespeare's play "Titus Andronicus" with Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange. Though not all ideas work (setting shifts back & forth from Ancient Rome to World War 2 Italy), the acting by Anthony Hopkins is the best I've seen, better than Silence of the Lambs.
  
  Warning: the movie is so violent (blame the author) I call it a Shakespeare Slasher film. Harry J. Lennix plays Aaron the Moor, Shakespeare's first villain, with an over-the-top yet understated villainy. Worth the rental alone.
  


• Octavia Butler - I read a newpaper column that she recently died from an icy slip on a porch. I never heard of her, and the newpaper said she was unusual for being a black woman writing Science Fiction. The article mentioned she was given a MacArthur Fellow award, so I downloaded a short story from Audible.com.