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XPrize Founders Launch Tech Innovation Competition

metlin writes "The organizers of the Ansari X-Prize have launched the equivalent of the X-Prize in a variety of technology areas, called the WTN X-Prizes. The idea is to have a series of prizes for important technology challenges facing humanity in the 21st century, which will be judged by the World Technology Network. The website mentions that, 'The concept of the WTN X PRIZES is to utilize the concepts, procedures, technologies and publicity developed X PRIZE Foundation's Ansari X PRIZE competition for space and the global science and technology innovators identification process and community developed by the World Technology Network (WTN) to launch a series of technology prizes seeking to meet the greatest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century.' Sounds like a good idea, maybe this will help make that flying car a reality?"

4 of 214 comments (clear)

  1. crappy article by philipkd · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I've read this all over the place. Can't somebody do a "for example" or something of what would be a sample prize for?

  2. Well.. by hexMonkey · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I submitted running Doom3 on a mac

  3. Is there an X-Prize for... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    preventing FR1ST P0ST B@ITCH!!

  4. The Flying Car by Kevin Smith by riker1384 · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    (Horns Honking) Randal: It's times like this it occurs to me that we were lied to by "The Jetsons". Dante: What are you talking about? Randal: According to that show we were suppose to be tooling around in flying cars by now. You see any flying cars lately? That's the problem with TV, it always lies to us. Dante: Yeah, well most of us rational thinkers weren't banking on a cartoon to offer us a viable glimpse into the future of technological development. Randal: You don't think anyone anywhere is working on the flying car. Dante: I could care less. Randal: I gotta believe that there is somebody else out there is thinking about the flying car besides me. Someone who is not afraid to throw their hats over the wall for the good of mankind. Dante: What's that suppose to mean? Randal: Throw their hats over the wall. It means committing to doing something. If more people threw their hats over the wall, we wouldn't be sitting here in this mess right now. We would be zooming over it in the flying car. Dante: I see you have given this alot of thought. Randal: Kennedy, all right JFK himself. When he was in office, he stood before the world and promised them a man on the moon within 10 years. Thing is nobody had started working on a space program at that point. JFK had no data to back up his claims, no inside into the practicality of space travel. But you know what he had? Dante: Marilyn Monroe. Randal: The man had sac. The man had the sac to stand before the world and say "Yo, yo get this we're going to the moon." Imagine, if you and I were the kind of guys who had the sac to stand before the world and say "Get this we'll all be in the flying car by the end of the year. Dante: Do you know you have a one track mind. Randal: Hey, what would you be willing to trade for the flying car? Dante: What do you mean? Randal: Say some German scientist comes up to you and he says "I have invented the flying car. I'll give it to you on one condition." Dante: Well, what's the condition? Randal: He's not going to tell you. Dante: Then it's no deal. Randal: The guy is offering you the flying car. Dante: Yeah, but there is obviously a catch. Randal: Who cares what the catch is, it's the flying car. You'll have the only one in the world. Dante: And why is this... German scientist Randal: Ya, vol. Dante: Why is he offering it to me for free instead of the car companies instead? Randal: What is this "Murder She Wrote"? Who cares what's behind the mystery. You going to look a gift horse in the mouth? Just take the car man. Dante: Not until I know what the catch is. Randal: Fine, the catch is you got to cut off a foot. Dante: No way. Randal: Are you saying you wouldn't cut off your foot for the flying car? You're that selfish. Dante: It's my foot! How am I suppose to walk? Randal: What walk? You'll have the flying car. Good God, you could sell the design and engineering secrets to the car companies and be a multibillionaire. After that you could buy like 50 prosthetic feet. Dante: Which foot, right or left? Randal: You're choice Dante: Ok, I'll trade my left foot for the flying car. Randal: Why your left foot? Dante: Oh, it's got an ingrown toenail. Randal: Listen to you. A guy offers you the Fire from Olympus that is the flying car and you trade him a bum foot. Dante: You said I could pick. Randal: So it's a deal then, your foot for the flying car. You're sure? Dante: Yes, I'm sure. Randal: You can't welch. Dante: I won't welch. Randal: Because the whole world is counting on you. Dante: Why the whole world all of a sudden? Randal: Because the German scientist held a press conference when he made you the offer. He told the world media once the trade is made. You can do whatever you want with the flying car. Including mass marketing an affordable model for consumer purchase. Dante: What the hell kind of scientist is this guy anyways? Randal: One with a lot of free time on his hands and a foot fetish. So are you in? You going to do the right thing here? Dante: Yes. Randal: So it's a deal. Dante: Yes. Ra