The TIME 100

Bill James

The maverick baseball statistician and father of sabermetrics is an adviser to the Boston Red Sox

Brian Lamb, founder of C-SPAN, spotlights so much of what is wrong with the U.S. by the simple determination with which he resists corruption. Lamb is self-effacing in a world of self-promoters, quiet when others are loud. He refuses to stand for any idea, and by doing that he advances magnificently the idea that political discourse can and should be civil, informed and selfless.

Arianna Huffington

Co-founder and editor in chief of the Huffington Post, with blog posts, news and commentary

I nominate Josh Marshall and his Talking Points Memo team, who, with a massive assist from their readers, pulled together the threads of the fired-U.S.-Attorneys scandal. This combination of blogger doggedness and reader interactivity is a great example of how new media are starting to break important news stories and offer original reporting.

Stephen Colbert

The host of Comedy Central's Emmy-nominated The Colbert Report also teaches Sunday school

Jesus Christ. Three reasons: 1) short but effective résumé--"God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God"; 2) he's been on a lot of TIME covers; 3) he could be coming back any day now, and you do not want to be the guy who left him off the list. So him, or Steve Jobs. One reason: I want a free iPhone.

Jeffrey D. Sachs

The economist and Earth Institute head is special adviser to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in which leading scientists present to the world what is and is not known about climate change, is helmed by Rajendra Pachauri, known to his many friends as Patchy. He has led this potentially fractious process with great professionalism and evenhandedness. His handiwork will change global politics for the better.