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TIME's most influential people of the year

By clock on April 26, 2007.

They are asking you to rate them here.

I have never heard of about half the people on the list - perhaps they are 'influential' in their small circles. Others are celebrities, and they may be influential in distracting people from things that matter. Some used to be influential in the past, or are influential abroad but not here. PZ suggests everyone gives Dawkins a 100%. Sure - the only scientist on the list (although they call him, gasp, an "evolutionist"!!!!).

Watch out - the stuff loads really slowly and it is too easy to give a 50% when your intention is to give a different rating. I have only voted for Elizabeth Edwards (who have since slipped from 14th to 34th place!) because she is the only one I know in person and the only one to have commented on my blog.

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I think there are a few other scientists on the list, though it's incredible America-centric (and the voters obviously don't understand the concept of 'most influential').

Thanks for the heads-up. I voted for Dawkins. Gave him a rating in the 90's. Not 100% because the state of science literacy globally (and probably the state of American culture in particular) demonstrate that he clearly hasn't had enough influence, alas. (I confess I gave Steve Jobs a higher ranking. I see iPods in ears everywhere I go in NYC. For that matter, I see people reading Harry Potter books all of the time, too. But, I don't think I've ever seen a copy of "The God Delusion" in somebody's hand. The book sold well; but, where are they all?! Maybe people only read Dawkins' books in private. *grin.*)

Psst, Svante Pääbo is a human geneticist. And I think Thierry Henry works in ballistics.

Bob