Dr. Lisa Bitel is a professor of history at the University of Southern California who studies the social, cultural and religious history of medieval Europe. She is the author of Isle of Saints: Monastic Settlements and Christian Community in Early Ireland and Land of Women: Tales of Sex and Gender from Early Ireland. She has written widely about sex, gender, dreams and dreamers in the Middle Ages and has recently finished a book on the cults of Saint Genovefa in Paris and Saint Brigit of Ireland. She is currently researching the history of Christian religious visions.

Michael A. Arbib is the Fletcher Jones Professor of Computer Science, as well as a Professor of Biological Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of Southern California (USC). He has also been named as one of a small group of University Professors at USC in recognition of his contributions across many disciplines.

He is the author or editor of 38 books. His edited volume, The Handbook of Brain Theory and Neural Networks is a massive compendium embracing studies in detailed neuronal function, system models of brain regions, connectionist models of psychology and linguistics, mathematical and biological studies of learning, and technological applications of artificial neural networks. Neural Organization: Structure, Function, and Dynamics, co-authored with Peter Érdi and the late John Szentágothai, provides a comprehensive view of the working of the brain. His two most recent books are Who Needs Emotions: The Brain Meets the Robot (edited with Jean-Marc Fellous) and Action To Language via the Mirror Neuron System.