David Brin is a scientist, public speaker, and author. Several of hisnovels have been New York Times Bestsellers, winning multiple Hugo, Nebulaand other awards. David Brin's papers in scientific journals cover aneclectic range of topics from astronautics, astronomy, and optics toalternative dispute resolution and the role of neoteny in human evolution.His Ph.D in Space Physics from the University of California at San Diegofollowed a masters in optics and an undergraduate degree in astrophysicsfrom Caltech. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the California Space Instituteand the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Brin's latest novel - Kiln People - wasreleased by Tor Books in December 2001. Kiln People is a science fictionthriller about a technology which allows the user to create short-livedduplicates of oneself.