Professor Nick Bostrom, Director of the Future of Humanity Institute, has been named the winner of the 2009 Gannon Award for the Continued Pursuit of Human Advancement. He will receive between one and two thousand dollars for the Future of Humanity Institute, and half of the Gannon Award's fundraising for 2010.
The Gannon Award is given to honor those who commit their lives to the betterment of humanity through creative or academic means. The Gannon Award committee selects three finalists annually by evaluating their career on criteria of integrity, ingenuity, professional recognition, and significance to the future of humanity.
In his statement made in response to the award, Bostrom said, "Suppose we get many little things right and make some progress. What use, if we are marching in the wrong direction? Or wasting our resources on projects of small utility while pivotal tasks are left undone? What if we are profoundly mistaken about what matters most? There are big potential gains from getting better at thinking about the right kinds of macro-questions, because at stake is our whole scheme of priorities."
For more information about the award and to read the rest of Bostrom's statement, visit the Gannon Award website.