As disruptive as the financial crisis has been, the important lessons to be learned from the spectacular failure of financial technologies gone awry may actually pave the way for some of the most significant achievements of the 21st century. In this talk, Prof. Lo will provide a brief overview of the origins of the crisis, the key role that mathematics played, and how a deeper understanding of human nature may allow financial engineers to focus the enormous power of global financial markets on some of society's most pressing challenges.