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Writer and researcher of the digital world Evgeny Morozov is the author of The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom and . He suggests that what he calls ‘Solutionism’, an obsessive belief in data-driven technology as the only answer to societal problems such as conflict and obesity, may be preventing us from finding more durable and more appropriate political solutions to these problems. 

Manil Suri was born in Bombay and is a professor of mathematics and affiliate professor of Asian studies at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He is also the author of the novels The Death of Vishnu, The Age of Shiva, and . Obsessions are at the core of The City of Devi, whether it’s the preoccupation of his main character with acquiring a pomegranate, the mutual fixation of India and Pakistan, or the existence of mathematical trinities and triangles within the plot.

Born in Madrid, Javier has published ten novels, two collections of short stories and several volumes of essays. His work has been translated into thirty-two languages and won a dazzling array of international literary awards. His recent novel, , traces the fine line between fantasy and obsession, a complicated mix of wanting something and trying to resist it, through an unsettling mystery of murder and love.

Manil Suri suggests that whenever someone made a promise, no matter how casual, they would be required to back it up with a monetary deposit.  If the promise was broken, the recipient would get to keep the money as compensation.  Different kinds of promises, such as dinner invitations or declarations of undying love, would carry varying financial penalties. Politicians would have to be particularly careful about what they pledged: they'd probably need to raise a lot more money for the massive payouts expected if elected.