David M W Powers is an Emeritus Professor of Computer Science and Cognitive Science at Flinders University, South Australia. He is known as a pioneer in Machine Learning of Natural Language, Parallel Logic Programming, Parallel Sorting and Human Computer Interface, and is responsible for half a dozen start ups exploiting new advances in microcomputers, web search and artificial intelligence technologies. He also founded ACL's SIGNLL and CoNLL and Springer's Computational Cognitive Science journal and Cognitive Science and Technologies book series.

Powers defined the probabilistic concepts of Informedness and Markedness, and generalized Matthews correlation coefficient to the multiclass case as their geometric mean. He further derived their quantitative estimators: Bookmaker Informedness, Bookmaker Markedness and Bookmaker Correlation.

Professor Powers also writes "Firm" Science Fiction as Marti Ward that extrapolates based on real science and extrapolates from today's technologies to explore future possibilities and the edges of the unknown in today's theories and models. His novels are particularly aimed to encourage young and new adults into a deeper interest in interdisiplinary science. He has written three award-winning novels in the Paradisi Lost Missions series and recently published the first instalment in the Quantum Talents series (as well as a number of short stories relating to this world).