At Technology Review, putting together the TR35--our annual list of outstanding young innovators--is one of the best parts of the job. Selecting these 35 men and women, all under the age of 35, takes the better part of a year, from soliciting nominations to vetting them to gathering the opinions of the experts we depend on to help us choose the best of the best (see a list of this year's judges). This year we began with more than 300 nominees. Settling on just 35 was a challenging task, one that led to lively discussions around conference tables and in hallways.

The result is an eclectic group of creative, driven people who have reimagined everything from the way we generate energy to the way we make social connections, from transporting premature babies to surfing the Web. This year, a few problems attracted the attention of more than one of our honorees: treating cancer, reducing our reliance on nonrenewable energy sources, keeping our online transactions secure and private, and bringing useful computing resources to the poor. With so many brilliant young minds on the case, we think the future may be brighter than many expect. But whether their work aims to save lives or merely to enrich them, the TR35 represents young talent at its most inspiring.