Where Google Ventures Is Searching Now - WSJ.com

Another dimension of Google aiming high

"WSJ: What investment areas are you interested in right now?
Mr. Maris [managing partner of Google Ventures]: I'm interested in the ideas that sound a little crazy, such as radical life extension, curing cancer, being able to create a simulation of the human brain and map every neuron. Nest is a company that wanted to build a new kind of thermostat, and initially that didn't seem important to me. But then I learned…that it's not really about the thermostat. The thermostat knows when you're home and when you're not [and adjusts the temperature accordingly]. They're trying to save the world a lot of energy."

Where Google Ventures Is Searching Now - WSJ.com