William C. Ratcliff is a Professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Georgia Institute of Technology and serves as the Director of the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in Quantitative Biosciences (QBioS). He is widely recognized for his research on the evolution of multicellularity, social evolution, and bet hedging, combining experimental and theoretical approaches. His work often explores how single-celled organisms transition to multicellular life forms, with notable studies involving yeast models.

Dr. Ratcliff earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2011, where he conducted research on microbial ecology and evolution. His groundbreaking work includes the experimental evolution of multicellularity, which has been featured in high-impact journals such as Nature Communications and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He has also contributed to understanding ecological and evolutionary dynamics in microbial communities.

At Georgia Tech, Dr. Ratcliff leads an active research lab focused on evolutionary biology and biophysics, mentoring students and postdoctoral researchers. His contributions to science include both fundamental insights into multicellular evolution and applications in biotechnology.

Ricard Solé is an ICREA research professor at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, where he heads the Complex Systems Lab. He holds degrees in Physics and Biology from the University of Barcelona and a PhD in Physics from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. Prof. Solé is also an External Professor at the Santa Fe Institute and a fellow of the European Center for Living Technology. His research focuses on the evolutionary origins of complex systems, synthetic biology, and unstable evolutionary dynamics. He has published over 250 scientific papers and is a frequent keynote speaker at international conferences. Solé is known for his work on synthetic major transitions and terraforming endangered ecosystems.

Eric Schwitzgebel, an esteemed philosopher at the University of California, Riverside, is renowned for his groundbreaking work at the intersection of empirical psychology and philosophy of mind. With a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, under the mentorship of Elisabeth A. Lloyd, Alison Gopnik, and John Searle, Schwitzgebel has become a leading voice in contemporary philosophical discourse.

His research focuses on the behavior of philosophers, particularly ethicists, using empirical methods to explore whether ethicists exhibit heightened ethical conduct. Through seminal studies, including a notable 2009 investigation into the prevalence of ethics books in academic libraries, Schwitzgebel challenges assumptions about the ethical behavior of philosophers.

Contrary to prevailing beliefs, his research reveals that ethicists do not demonstrate significantly different ethical behavior compared to other disciplines. Moreover, he illuminates the susceptibility of moral beliefs among professional philosophers to extraneous influences, prompting a critical reevaluation of ethical thought and behavior.

Eric Schwitzgebel's work continues to inspire interdisciplinary dialogue and reshape our understanding of moral philosophy, underscoring the complex interplay between cognition, social context, and ethical decision-making. As a distinguished academic and prolific author, he leaves an indelible mark on the philosophical landscape, urging us to explore the intricacies of human morality with renewed clarity and insight.