The twenty-first century promises to be a time of both great medical advances and historic demographic changes. Although it is difficult to predict the future of medical research and technology, it seems likely that global progress in fighting or even eradicating diseases will have a tremendous impact on world population, fertility rates, and longevity. What role should a free market play in encouraging medical research? What is the proper balance between legal protections for new medical technology and the availability of new medical findings to those in need around the world? What global demographic trends will form the backdrop for this continuing debate?

We wish to recognize the new underwriting by Pfizer, Inc., of Think Tank with Ben Wattenberg, now enjoying its eighth anniversary on PBS. Think Tank is a weekly discussion program focusing on a wide variety of topics, including politics, public policy, science, medicine, technology, the arts, entertainment, and culture.