Philip Elmer-DeWitt

Philip Elmer-DeWitt has been covering science and technology for Time Magazine since he reported a cover story on computer "Whiz Kids" in 1982. He became a staff writer in 1983, a senior writer in 1993, a senior editor in 1994 and an assistant managing editor in 1997. He started two new sections in the magazine-Computers (1982) and Technology (1987)-and in 1994 helped launch Time Online (now Time.com), America's first interactive weekly newsmagazine. In January 2002 was promoted to sciences editor, directing Time's coverage of science, medicine, space and the environment. As a Time writer, he produced more than 500 news and feature stories on subjects ranging from in-vitro fertilization to computer sex. His cover stories include "Computer Viruses" (1988), "Curing Infertility" (1991), "The Rio Earth Summit" (1992), "Cyberpunk" (1993), "Sex In America" (1994), "Girth of a Nation" (1995), Bill Gates (1995) and "Cyberporn" (1995). Since 1995, he has edited more than 150 cover stories, including the issue that named AIDS researcher Dr. David Ho Time's 1996 "Man of the Year" and Albert Einstein "Person of the Century," and run Time-sponsored conferences on the Future of Life (2003) and Obesity (2004) and Global Health (2005). Elmer-DeWitt has made dozens of radio and television appearances and produced several 10-minute television features for PBS's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and CNN & Time (formerly CNN Impact). Born in Boston and raised in Lexington, Massachuseets, he was graduated summa cum laude in English from Oberlin College and studied at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and at the University of California at Berkeley.