Professor of computer science at Yale. Dr Gelernter's work on parallel programming, artificial intelligence, and information management has heavily influenced many of today's current generation tools; the programming language called "Linda" is used worldwide for parallel programming, and the central idea behind LindaLanguage (TupleSpace or GenerativeCommunication), now forms the basis of the "JavaSpaces" extension to Java being developed by Sun Microsystems. 

His 1991 book MirrorWorlds 

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/019507906X.01._PE_PI_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
(Oxford, ISBN 019507906X) outlined a network-based computing future similar to the Web-based Internet community that has since emerged. Dr Gelernter is the author of numerous books and articles on technology and the future of computing.

See his current work at http://www.mirrorworlds.com/ and http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/gelernter/gelernter_index.html for his recently published manifesto.

Woops, make that http://www.scopeware.com, now.

''Interestingly, his last named means "more learned".''
In what language? 

In German, although practical applications of this word (as in "a more learned lesson") have yet to be found. -- KonradAnton (from Germany)

Perhaps a better translation would just be "learned", "skilled" or "educated" rather than "more learned". ''Er ist gelernter Mechaniker.'' -- BorisMagocsi (also from Germany)

''If reading his books you should be prepared for unexpected, rather jarring side trips into Prof. Gelernter's right-wing political opinions in the middle of technical discussions. It was disconcerting until I got used to skipping over them.''

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He was almost-fatally injured in 1993 when he opened a mailbomb from UnaBomber. His right hand and eye were left permanently damaged. 

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EricFreeman was one of his students.

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