Danny Hillis#Early life

Born September 25, 1956, in Baltimore, Maryland, Danny Hillis spent much of his childhood living overseas, in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and received his bachelor of science in mathematics in 1978. As an undergraduate, he worked at the MIT Logo Laboratory under the tutelage of Seymour Papert, developing computer hardware and software for children.{{cite journal|title=Parallel Computing Pioneers: W. Daniel Hillis|journal=Parallel Computing Research Newsletter|date=Fall 1996|volume=4|issue=4|url=https://www.crpc.rice.edu/newsletters/fal96/pp.hillis.html|access-date=May 31, 2007|archive-date=June 30, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630215025/https://www.crpc.rice.edu/newsletters/fal96/pp.hillis.html|url-status=live}} During this time, he also designed computer-oriented toys and games for the Milton Bradley Company. While still in college, he co-founded Terrapin Inc., a producer of computer software, including Logo, for elementary schools.{{cite journal|last1=Scannell|first1=Tim|title=Micro-based turtle serves as mapping, teaching aid|journal=Computerworld|date=June 5, 1978|page=151|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ICoe1vr9x3kC&q=hillis+terrapin&pg=PA151|access-date=November 2, 2020|archive-date=April 14, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414101654/https://books.google.com/books?id=ICoe1vr9x3kC&q=hillis+terrapin&pg=PA151|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=Robot Turtle|url=https://archive.org/stream/PersonalComputing197808/Personal%20Computing%201978-08_djvu.txt|publisher=Personal Computing|date=August 17, 1978}}

As a graduate student at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory,{{cite news|last1=Rifkin|first1=Glenn|title=Marvin Minsky, pioneer in artificial intelligence, dies at 88|url=https://tech.mit.edu/V135/N38/minsky.html|work=New York Times|date=January 28, 2016|access-date=November 22, 2017|archive-date=November 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121131830/https://tech.mit.edu/V135/N38/minsky.html|url-status=live}} Hillis designed tendon-controlled robot arms{{cite web|last1=Hillis|first1=W.D.|title=Active touch sensing|url=https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/74735/08254739-MIT.pdf?sequence=2|publisher=Master's dissertation MIT|access-date=November 22, 2017|archive-date=August 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819051905/https://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/74735/08254739-MIT.pdf?sequence=2|url-status=live}} and a touch-sensitive robot "skin".{{cite journal|last1=Hillis|first1=W.D.|title=A high resolution imaging touch sensor|journal=International Journal of Robotics Research|date=June 1982|volume=1|issue=2|pages=33–44|doi=10.1177/027836498200100202|s2cid=111014047}}

During his college years, Hillis was part of the team that built a computer composed entirely of Tinkertoys,{{cite journal|last1=Dewdney|first1=A.K.|title=A Tinkertoy computer that plays tic-tac-toe|journal=Scientific American|date=October 1989|url=https://constructingmodernknowledge.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/TinkerToy-Computer-Dewdney-article.pdf|access-date=November 22, 2017|archive-date=May 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517044717/https://constructingmodernknowledge.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/TinkerToy-Computer-Dewdney-article.pdf|url-status=live}} currently at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.{{cite book|title=Tinkertoy Computer|year=1978 |url=https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/X39.81|publisher=Computer History Museum|access-date=November 22, 2017|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830012142/https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/X39.81|url-status=live}}

At MIT, Hillis began to study Artificial Intelligence under Marvin Minsky. In 1981, he proposed building a massively parallel computer for Artificial Intelligence, consisting of a million processors, each similar to a modern Graphics Processing Unit. This work culminated in the design of a massively parallel computer with 64,000 processor cores. He named it the Connection Machine, and it became the topic of his PhD, for which he received the 1985 Association for Computing Machinery Doctoral Dissertation award.{{cite web|title=William Daniel Hillis|url=https://awards.acm.org/award_winners/hillis_4558874.cfm|website=Award Winners|publisher=Association for Computing Machinery|access-date=November 22, 2017|archive-date=December 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201034914/https://awards.acm.org/award_winners/hillis_4558874.cfm|url-status=live}} Hillis earned his doctorate as a Hertz Foundation Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, under the supervision of Marvin Minsky, Claude Shannon and Gerald Sussman, receiving his PhD in 1988. He later served as an adjunct professor at the MIT Media Lab, where he wrote The Pattern on the Stone.

Hillis has founded a number of technology companies, including Thinking Machines Corporation, Applied Minds, Metaweb Technologies, Applied Proteomics,{{cite web|title=Applied Proteomics|url=https://appliedproteomics.com/|access-date=December 11, 2017|archive-date=September 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170930163000/https://appliedproteomics.com/|url-status=live}} and Applied Invention.{{cite web|title=Applied Invention|url=https://www.appliedinvention.com/|access-date=December 11, 2017|archive-date=October 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027145159/https://www.appliedinvention.com/|url-status=live}} Hillis has over 300 issued patents{{cite web|url=https://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=0&f=S&l=50&TERM1=hillis%2C+w.+daniel&FIELD1=INNM&co1=AND&TERM2=&FIELD2=&d=PTXT|title=US Patent Office search results show 321 patents|website=USPTO Patent Full-Text and Image Database|access-date=December 7, 2016|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830014217/https://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-bool.html&r=0&f=S&l=50&TERM1=hillis%2C+w.+daniel&FIELD1=INNM&co1=AND&TERM2=&FIELD2=&d=PTXT|url-status=live}} in fields including parallel computers, touch interfaces, disk arrays, forgery prevention methods, electronic and mechanical devices, and bio-medical techniques, RAID disk arrays, multicore multiprocessors and for wormhole routing in parallel processing.{{cite news|url=https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=141883|title=The Network Architecture of the Connection Machine CM-5|last1=Leiserson|first1=C.|display-authors=et al|date=1992|publisher=SPAA '92 Proceedings of the fourth annual ACM symposium of Parallel algorithms and architectures|ref=Pages 272-285}}

As a graduate student at MIT, Hillis co-founded Thinking Machines Corporation to produce and market parallel computers, developing a series of influential products called the Connection Machine.[https://www.inc.com/magazine/19950915/2622.html The Rise and Fall of Thinking Machines Corporation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060209174607/https://www.inc.com/magazine/19950915/2622.html |date=February 9, 2006 }}, Inc. Magazine, September 1995 At the time the company produced many of the fastest computers in the world.{{cite web |title=Top500 Supercomputer Sites |url=https://www.top500.org/statistics/sublist/ |website=Sublist Generator |access-date=2019-01-03 |archive-date=December 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181207200508/https://www.top500.org/statistics/sublist/ |url-status=live }} The Connection Machine was used in demanding computation and data-intensive applications. It was used by the Stanford Exploration Project for oil exploration{{cite news|title=Stanford University announces the purchase of Thinking Machines' CM-5 Supercomputer System|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/STANFORD+UNIVERSITY+ANNOUNCES+THE+PURCHASE+OF+THINKING+MACHINES%27+CM-5...-a012179716|publisher=PR Newswire|date=May 27, 1992|access-date=December 11, 2017|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830103518/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/STANFORD+UNIVERSITY+ANNOUNCES+THE+PURCHASE+OF+THINKING+MACHINES%27+CM-5...-a012179716|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=High Performance Computing & Seismic Imaging|url=https://sepwww.stanford.edu/data/media/public/sep/biondo/HTML/Computing.html|publisher=Stanford Exploration Project|access-date=December 11, 2017|archive-date=December 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224144205/https://sepwww.stanford.edu/data/media/public/sep/biondo/HTML/Computing.html|url-status=live}} and for pioneering data mining applications by American Express,{{cite news|last1=Markoff|first1=John|title=Thinking Machines to file for bankruptcy|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/16/business/company-news-thinking-machines-to-file-for-bankruptcy.html|work=New York Times|date=August 16, 1994|access-date=January 28, 2018|archive-date=May 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180509013158/https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/16/business/company-news-thinking-machines-to-file-for-bankruptcy.html|url-status=live}} as well as many scientific applications at organizations including Schlumberger, Harvard University, University of Tokyo, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, NASA, Sandia National Laboratories, National Center for Supercomputer Applications, Army High Performance Computing Research Center, University of California Berkeley, University of Wisconsin at Madison, and Syracuse University.

At Thinking Machines, he built a team of scientists, designers, and engineers, including people in the field as well as those who later became leaders and innovators in multiple industries. The team included Sydney Brenner, Richard Feynman,{{cite journal|last1=Hillis|first1=W.|title=Richard Feynman and the Connection Machine|journal=Physics Today|date=1999|volume=42|issue=2|pages=78–83|url=https://longnow.org/essays/richard-feynman-connection-machine/|doi=10.1063/1.881196|access-date=December 11, 2017|archive-date=December 21, 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121221011503/https://longnow.org/essays/richard-feynman-connection-machine/|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}} Brewster Kahle, and Eric Lander.

In 1996, Hillis joined The Walt Disney Company in the newly created role of Disney Fellow{{cite news|title=Danny Hillis named first member of Disney Fellows program|url=https://www.hpcwire.com/1996/05/17/danny-hillis-named-first-member-of-disney-fellows-program/|publisher=HPC Wire|date=May 17, 1996|access-date=December 12, 2017|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830053828/https://www.hpcwire.com/1996/05/17/danny-hillis-named-first-member-of-disney-fellows-program/|url-status=live}} and as vice president, Research and Development at Disney Imagineering.{{cite news|last1=Bronson|first1=Po|title=Disney Fellows|url=https://www.wired.com/1997/03/disney-fellows/|publisher=Wired|date=March 1, 1997|access-date=December 12, 2017|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830145524/https://www.wired.com/1997/03/disney-fellows/|url-status=live}} He developed new technologies and business strategies for Disney's theme parks, television, motion pictures, and consumer products businesses.{{cite news|last1=Hafner|first1=Katie|title=Disney's Wizards|url=https://www.newsweek.com/disneys-wizards-172346|publisher=Newsweek|date=August 11, 1997|access-date=December 12, 2017|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830005142/https://www.newsweek.com/disneys-wizards-172346|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|last1=Remnick|first1=David|title=The Next Magic Kingdom, Future Perfect|magazine=The New Yorker|date=October 20, 1997}} He also designed new theme park rides, a full-sized walking dinosaur,{{cite news|last1=Saunders|first1=Fenella|title=A giant among robots|url=https://discovermagazine.com/2001/mar/featrobots|publisher=Discover|date=March 1, 2001|access-date=December 12, 2017|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830011951/https://discovermagazine.com/2001/mar/featrobots|url-status=live}} and various micro mechanical devices.

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In 2000, Hillis co-founded the R&D think-tank Applied Minds with his Disney colleague Bran Ferren. Minds is a team of engineers, scientists, and designers that provide design and technology services for clients. The creative environment and the diverse projects it undertook gained Applied Minds abundant media attention. "It's as if Willy Wonka's chocolate factory just yawned wide to welcome us. Only here, all the candy plugs in," said an article in Wired magazine.{{cite web|last1=Jardin|first1=Xeni|title=Applied Minds Think Remarkably|url=https://archive.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2005/06/67951#|website=wired.com|publisher=Wired|access-date=December 31, 2017|archive-date=June 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170604133052/https://archive.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2005/06/67951|url-status=live}} Work done at the firm covered the range of industries and application domains, including satellites,{{cite press release|last1=Kwan|first1=Carissa|title=Mayflower Test Satellite, Jointly Developed by Northrop Grumman and Applied Minds, Proves Successful During Recent SpaceX Mission|date=May 11, 2011 |url=https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2011/05/11/446985/221694/en/Mayflower-Test-Satellite-Jointly-Developed-by-Northrop-Grumman-and-Applied-Minds-Proves-Successful-During-Recent-SpaceX-Mission.html|access-date=December 31, 2017|archive-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170904195734/https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2011/05/11/446985/221694/en/Mayflower-Test-Satellite-Jointly-Developed-by-Northrop-Grumman-and-Applied-Minds-Proves-Successful-During-Recent-SpaceX-Mission.html|url-status=live}} helicopters,{{cite news|last1=Sabbagh|first1=Leslie|title=Flying Blind in Iraq: U.S. Helicopters Navigate Real Desert Storms|url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a5540/4199189/|publisher=Popular Mechanics|date=October 3, 2006|access-date=December 31, 2017|archive-date=September 8, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908175647/https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/a5540/4199189/|url-status=live}} and educational facilities.{{cite news|last1=Tabor|first1=Aimee|title=New School Will Provide More Learning Opportunities|url=https://trib.com/news/local/new-school-will-provide-more-learning-opportunities/article_346863f8-9de0-55b5-8dbd-7071d2767f49.html|publisher=The Casper Star-Tribune|date=February 5, 2007|access-date=January 20, 2018|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830013621/https://trib.com/news/local/new-school-will-provide-more-learning-opportunities/article_346863f8-9de0-55b5-8dbd-7071d2767f49.html|url-status=live}}

While at Applied Minds, Hillis designed and built a large-scale computer data center for Sun Microsystems (the Sun Modular Datacenter) that would fit into a standard 20-foot shipping container,{{cite news|last1=Markoff|first1=John|title=It's a Shipping Container|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/technology/17sun.html?_r=0|work=The New York Times|date=October 17, 2006|access-date=January 28, 2018|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830004955/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/technology/17sun.html?_r=0|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Robertson|first1=Jordan|title=Sun Microsystems Unveils Data Center|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/17/AR2006101700072.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=October 17, 2006|access-date=January 28, 2018|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830015812/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/17/AR2006101700072.html|url-status=live}} solving, among others, the problems of accommodating processor capacity, cooling, power requirements, and storage{{cite news|last1=Waldrop|first1=M. Mitchell|title=Data Center in a Box|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/data-center-in-a-box/|publisher=Scientific American|date=August 2007|access-date=December 31, 2017|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830065848/https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/data-center-in-a-box/|url-status=live}} within a uniquely portable solution.{{buzzword-inline|date=December 2024}} This type of "datacenter in a box," has now become a common method for building large data centers.{{cite web|last1=Malik|first1=Om|title=Suns's Computing on Demand, Literally|url=https://gigaom.com/2006/10/16/suns-computing-on-demand-literally/|website=GigaOm|access-date=December 31, 2017|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830013938/https://gigaom.com/2006/10/16/suns-computing-on-demand-literally/|url-status=dead}}

For Herman Miller, Hillis designed an audio privacy solution{{buzzword-inline|date=December 2024}}{{cite news|last1=Scanlon|first1=Jessie|title=Keep It Down! I'm Trying to Work|url=https://www.wired.com/2005/07/keep-it-down-im-trying-to-work/|publisher=Wired|date=July 2005|access-date=January 28, 2018|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830055614/https://www.wired.com/2005/07/keep-it-down-im-trying-to-work/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|last1=Markoff|first1=John|title=No Privacy in Your Cubicle? Try an Electronic Silencer|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/30/technology/no-privacy-in-your-cubicle-try-an-electronic-silencer.html|work=The New York Times|date=May 30, 2005|access-date=January 28, 2018|archive-date=February 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216204432/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/30/technology/no-privacy-in-your-cubicle-try-an-electronic-silencer.html|url-status=live}} based on phonetic jumbling—Babble{{cite news|last1=Kramer|first1=Melody Joy|title=Babble: Innovations of the Year|url=https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a2298/esq1205babble/|publisher=Esquire|date=December 2005|access-date=December 31, 2017|archive-date=April 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401031216/https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a2298/esq1205babble/|url-status=live}}—which was received in the media as a version of the Cone of Silence, and was marketed through a new company, Sonare. Also for Herman Miller, Hillis developed a flexible reconfigurable power and lighting system,{{cite news|last1=Kimes|first1=Mina|title=Herman Miller's High-Wire Act|volume=159|issue=11|publisher=Fortune|date=May 25, 2009}}{{cite news|last1=Hall|first1=Peter|title=Push-Button Rewiring|url=https://www.metropolismag.com/June-2007/Push-Button-Rewiring/|publisher=Metropolis|date=June 2007|access-date=December 31, 2017|archive-date=September 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908060417/https://www.metropolismag.com/June-2007/Push-Button-Rewiring/|url-status=live}} which was marketed through another new company, Convia.

As part of an early touchscreen map table interface, Hillis invented and patented the use of multiple touch points to control a zoom interface, which is now called "pinch to zoom.".{{cite web|last1=Hillis|display-authors=et al|title=Touch driven method and apparatus to integrate and display multiple image layers forming alternate depictions of same subject matter|url=https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=7724242|publisher=US Patent 7,724,242|access-date=December 31, 2017|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830014421/https://pdfpiw.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=7724242|url-status=live}} One of these patents was the basis for the USPTO decision{{cite news|last1=Ribero|first1=J|title=US patent office rejects claims of Apple 'pinch to zoom' patent|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/2045461/us-patent-office-rejects-claims-of-apple-pinch-to-zoom-patent.html|publisher=PC World|date=July 29, 2013|access-date=December 31, 2017|archive-date=May 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506001825/https://www.pcworld.com/article/2045461/us-patent-office-rejects-claims-of-apple-pinch-to-zoom-patent.html|url-status=live}} to reject Apple Inc.'s claim on a "pinch-to-zoom" patent in its legal dispute with Samsung, on the grounds that it was described in the Hillis patent.

In 2005, Hillis and others from Applied Minds founded Metaweb Technologies to develop a semantic data storage infrastructure{{cite news|last1=Markoff|first1=John|title=Start-up aims for database to automate web searching|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/09/technology/09data.html|work=New York Times|date=March 9, 2007|access-date=January 28, 2018|archive-date=January 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116164246/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/09/technology/09data.html|url-status=live}} for the Internet, and Freebase, an open, structured database of the world's knowledge.{{cite news|last1=Mellor|first1=Belle|title=Sharing What Matters|url=https://www.economist.com/node/9249171|issue=15|publisher=The Economist|date=June 7, 2007|access-date=December 31, 2017|archive-date=January 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114214300/https://www.economist.com/node/9249171|url-status=live}} That company was acquired by Google,{{cite web|last1=Rubin|first1=Courtney|title=Metaweb acquired by Google|url=https://www.inc.com/news/articles/2010/07/google-acquires-metaweb.html|website=Inc.|access-date=December 31, 2017|archive-date=April 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401031057/https://www.inc.com/news/articles/2010/07/google-acquires-metaweb.html|url-status=live}} and its technology became the basis of the Google Knowledge Graph.

In 2012, Hillis helped to create a research program on cancer and proteomics as Professor of Research Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and the principal investigator of the National Cancer Institute's Physical Sciences in Oncology Laboratory at USC.{{cite web|url=https://physics.cancer.gov/centers/UniversityofSouthernCalifornia.aspx|title=University of Southern California - Physical Sciences in Oncology|website=Physics.Cancer.gov|access-date=January 20, 2018|archive-date=June 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613203402/https://physics.cancer.gov/centers/UniversityofSouthernCalifornia.aspx|url-status=live}} He co-founded Applied Proteomics (API) with David Agus to make proteomics-based biomarker discovery practical.{{cite news|last1=Buchen|first1=Lizzie|title=Crunching Cancer with Numbers|publisher=New Scientist|date=July 13, 2010}} Hillis and his colleagues at API developed one of the first protein biomarker discovery platforms and a blood test for early stage colon cancer, but they were unable to convince investors to finance taking their proteomic technology to the market.{{cite web|last1=Pogrelc|first1=Deanna|title=Applied Proteomics lands $28M for diagnostics that spot disease by capturing protein activity|date=August 20, 2013 |url=https://medcitynews.com/2013/08/applied-proteomics-gets-28m-for-lab-tests-that-look-at-protein-activity-to-spot-disease-sooner/|publisher=Med City News|access-date=August 20, 2013}}{{cite web|title=Applied Proteomics Sells Assets to DiscernDx for $1.85M|date=February 8, 2018 |url=https://genomeweb.com/proteomics-protein-research/applied-proteomics-sells-assets-discerndx-185m|publisher=GenomeWeb|access-date=July 10, 2020|archive-date=July 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711030153/https://www.genomeweb.com/proteomics-protein-research/applied-proteomics-sells-assets-discerndx-185m|url-status=live}}

Hillis has academic appointments as the Judge Widney Professor of Engineering and Medicine at the University of Southern California,{{cite web|url=https://about.usc.edu/faculty/named-chairs-and-professorships/|title=Named Chairs and Professorships - USC Provost|website=USC.edu|access-date=January 20, 2018|archive-date=February 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226031621/https://about.usc.edu/faculty/named-chairs-and-professorships/|url-status=live}} Professor of Research Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and research professor of engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.{{cite web|url=https://viterbi.usc.edu/news/news/2009/applied-minds-co.htm|title=USC - Viterbi School of Engineering - Applied Minds Co-Founder Appointed to the Viterbi Research Faculty|website=Viterbi.USC.edu|access-date=January 20, 2018|archive-date=October 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020090419/https://viterbi.usc.edu/news/news/2009/applied-minds-co.htm|url-status=live}} He was the first principal investigator of the National Cancer Institute's Physical Sciences in Oncology Laboratory at USC.

In 2015, Hillis co-founded Applied Invention, an interdisciplinary group of engineers, scientists, and artists. Applied Invention develops technology solutions{{buzzword-inline|date=December 2024}} in partnership with other companies and entrepreneurs.{{Cite web |title=Technology and Truth - meet Dr Danny Hillis - TL;DR |url=https://www.digital-science.com/tldr/article/technology-and-truth-meet-dr-danny-hillis/ |access-date=2025-05-21 |website=Digital Science |language=en-US}}

Applied Invention co-founded Dark Sky,{{cite web|last1=Grossman|first1=Adam|title=Dark Sky Has a New Owner|url=https://blog.darksky.net/dark-sky-has-a-new-owner/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200311111729/https://blog.darksky.net/dark-sky-has-a-new-owner/|archive-date=March 11, 2020|website=darksky.net|access-date=January 12, 2015}} a weather forecasting technology company with consumer web and mobile applications{{cite web|last1=Kastrenakes|first1=Jacob|title=The 9 best apps for Apple Watch you can get right now|url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/4/24/8489201/best-apple-watch-apps-so-far|website=The Verve|date=April 24, 2015 |access-date=April 24, 2015|archive-date=April 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425083329/https://www.theverge.com/2015/4/24/8489201/best-apple-watch-apps-so-far|url-status=live}} that was eventually sold to Apple.{{cite web |last1=Bursztynsky |first1=Jessica |title=Apple buys popular weather app Dark Sky and plans to shut down Android versions |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/31/apple-buys-popular-weather-app-dark-sky.html |website=CNBC.com|date=March 31, 2020 }}

{{main|The Pattern on the Stone: The Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work}}

Hillis' 1998 popular science book The Pattern on the Stone attempts to explain concepts from computer science for laymen using simple language, metaphor and analogy. It moves from Boolean algebra through topics such as information theory, parallel computing, cryptography, algorithms, heuristics, Turing machines, and evolving technologies such as quantum computing and emergent systems.

In 1986, Hillis expressed alarm that society had what he called a "mental barrier" of looking at the year 2000 as the limit of the future.{{cite web|title=About Long Now|url=https://longnow.org/about/|access-date=January 11, 2018|archive-date=June 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616195028/https://longnow.org/about/|url-status=live}} He proposed a project to build a mechanical clock that would last 10,000 years. This project became the initial project of The Long Now Foundation, which he co-founded with Stewart Brand and where he serves as co-chairman. A prototype of the Clock of the Long Now is on display at the London Science Museum. A full-scale mechanical clock is being installed at a site inside a mountain in western Texas.{{cite web|title=The 10,000 Year Clock|url=https://longnow.org/clock/|website=The Long Now Foundation|access-date=January 11, 2018|archive-date=January 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105212642/https://longnow.org/clock/|url-status=live}}

Hillis is the recipient of the inaugural Dan David Prize for shaping and enriching society and public life in 2002,{{Cite web|url=https://www.dandavidprize.org/laureates/2002/69-present-technology,-information-and-society/158-dr-daniel-hillis|title=Daniel Hillis|last=Prize|first=Dan David|website=www.dandavidprize.org|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-03-08|archive-date=March 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330163500/https://www.dandavidprize.org/laureates/2002/69-present-technology,-information-and-society/158-dr-daniel-hillis|url-status=live}} the 1991 Spirit of American Creativity Award for his inventions,{{Cite web|url=https://www.hpcwire.com/1996/05/17/danny-hillis-named-first-member-of-disney-fellows-program/|title=Danny Hillis Named First Member of Disney Fellows Program|date=1996-05-17|website=HPCwire|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-08|archive-date=August 30, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830053828/https://www.hpcwire.com/1996/05/17/danny-hillis-named-first-member-of-disney-fellows-program/|url-status=live}} the 1989 Grace Murray Hopper Award for his contributions to computer science, and the 1988 Ramanujan Award for his work in applied mathematics.

Hillis is a member of the National Academy of Engineering,{{Cite web|url=https://nae.edu/MembersSection/MemberDirectory/30324.aspx|title=Dr. W. Daniel Hillis|website=NAE Website|access-date=2019-03-08|archive-date=April 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401031057/https://www.nae.edu/MembersSection/MemberDirectory/30324.aspx|url-status=live}} a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery, a fellow of the International Leadership Forum,{{Cite web|url=https://www.wbsi.org/ilfdigest/about_ilf_members.htm|title=ILF DIGEST Roster of ILF Fellows|date=2012-02-06|website=ILFdigest|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206025351/https://www.wbsi.org/ilfdigest/about_ilf_members.htm|archive-date=February 6, 2012|access-date=2019-03-08}} and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.{{Cite web|url=https://www.amacad.org/person/w-daniel-hillis|title=W. Daniel Hillis|website=American Academy of Arts & Sciences|language=en|access-date=2019-03-08|archive-date=July 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729054539/https://www.amacad.org/person/w-daniel-hillis|url-status=live}}

{{reflist|2}}

• Ben Goertzel: [https://www.goertzel.org/benzine/Hillis.htm "Danny Hillis, Pragmatic Visionary"]

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