Mantega is responsible for the all-important task of keeping the Brazilian growth miracle going by taming the double-threats of currency appreciation and inflation.

FORBES: Names You Need To Know: Guido Mantega

"Doubling the complexity of the circuit often times turns it from being a difficult task to a practically impossible one, whereas for us to double the complexity it's really straightforward, " he told BBC News.

BBC: Quantum computer slips onto chips

Many still ask whether Rio authorities, who have succeeded in cracking down on much of the city's drug violence, are up to the task of protecting the waves of tourists expected to flood the city during the upcoming double-header of mega-events.

NPR: Rape, Kidnap Of Tourists Feed Rio Safety Fears