Apparently the $10 million Ansari X Prize offered last year to the first nongovernmental team to launch a rocket into space has opened some eyes in the scientific community. Two similar contests have sprung up now.
The M Prize: The 'M' standing presumably for both the prize amount of a million dollars and the project name Methuselah (the name of the biblical character synonymous with longevity). Started by University of Cambridge biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey, the prize will go to the team that successfully extends the life or reverses the aging of mice. Criteria is to extend the life of a lab mouse beyond the current record of 4.98 years - the equivalent of 150 years in humans.
Centennial Challenges: Actually this is a set of two challenges with a prize of $50,000 each sponsored by NASA. Both are focused on developing a space elevator. The Tether Challenge requires teams to develop superstrong string material and the Beam Power Challenge requires teams to develop wireless power transmission technology. NASA has actually budgeted $80 million on technology prizes over the next five years so expect more NASA challenges to be announced.
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