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1st Heinlein Prize Awarded
baxissimo writes "The first ever Heinlein prize for Advances in Space Commercialization is going to be awarded to Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, for various activities including his efforts as Founder and Chairman of the Ansari X Prize. The prize is a cool 1/2 million USD plus a few other nifty trinkets -- a gold Heinlein Medallion, the Lady Vivamus Sword (as described in Heinlein's book Glory Road) and a Laureate's Diploma. The award ceremony will be held in Houston, July 7, 2006. This prize has been around a good while (since Heinlein's death in 1988?) with no awardees. Hopefully this will make the existence of the prize a little more widely known, and help spur further developments like the X Prize."
Is this like selling air?
Man is a slave because freedom is difficult, whereas slavery is easy.
This is a must see ... the Lady Vivamus Sword
You'd think with a Heinlein prize, the award would be a giant gold breast. ;)
But on a serious note, I'm glad this prize is out there. Aside from the usual flamewar about private industry versus government-driven research, it seems to me the more people/companies/organizations/entities that are trying to get into space, the faster our species as a whole will get off this rock and start exploring the universe.
Gifts for Geeks - Stuff that really matters!
I just hope after this Dr. Peter H. Diamandis remembers TINSTAAFL! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TINSTAAFL
Always be polite.
There are only a half dozen comments or so and the site is already down. Bummer.
Yeah, I'm as old as my UID would suggest.
The Lady Vivamus Sword? Can I order one of those? I ordered the dungeonmaster's blade from an advert in Perfect 10 magazine, but I've never seen the Lady Vivamus sword...
I have a pretty extensive collection of swords on my wall.
...this is a prize for offering a prize?
Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
He can yell "front!" at any time and have beautiful women available to do his bidding 24 hours a day. He even gets a fair witness included at no extra charge.
Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
Why can't there be a Heinlein award for insect repellant?
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
Because there's no air in space, silly.
He now has 50 or more billions for not-for-profit development. It would be interesting if he used a portion to persue this. OTH, Paul Allen has been spending money on space before it was even popular to do so.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
His sci-fi is just a cover for his extreme right-wing, dog-eat-dog capitalistic propanganda with some boobs and underage sex thrown in.
Oh wait... maybe geeks are the perfect audience for such morally bankrupt crap. Nevermind.
What? It says so on the web site. Just scroll to the bottom of the page.
The simple truth is that interstellar distances will not fit into the human imagination
- Douglas Adams
Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C Clarke, Larry Niven, to name a few.
Heinlein also had some interesting commentary on some "not PC" topics as well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_in_a_Strange _Land
Do you grok?
www.effectiveelectrons.com "chips that work" Analog, RF, Mixed Signal
Hey, that's a 5% discount!
Apart from some of the technical stuff he mentions, check this out (From the wikipedia page): In Solution Unsatisfactory, written in 1940, Heinlein set out the following predictions: in 1941 the US government would start a large-scale secret project, which would make nuclear weapons available for use by the end of 1944 (radioactive dust rather than a bomb - but with much the same strategic implications); the weapon would be used to destroy an Axis city in 1945; this would bring WWII to an end, but start a nuclear arms race between the US and the Soviet Union. (In Heinlein's story, it leads to a new war which the US wins, gaining domination over the whole world but becoming a military dictatorship in the process).
It's pretty amazing that it took nearly twenty years for someone to make some sort of advancement in space commercialization, especially considering how far we have to go. I mean, how many advancements in technology have been made because some enthusiast found/pushed for/invented ways to push the boundaries of his/her particular field of choice?
An award for someone who gave out an award? Why don't we recognise actual innovators?
an ill wind that blows no good
I got mine ready to go, just got to finish up duct-taping the capsule and finish drawing my logo.. asp
Anyone else?
But seriously congratulations to Dr. Diamandis for winning! On to the moon!
http://www.xprizefoundation.com/news/LunarLanding
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
My user name rocks! What is yours, you loser? Owned!
an ill wind that blows no good
Well, it's slashdotted now, but judging by the little image on the H prize page she'd be something of a wrist-breaker.
Not much call for cavalry sabers these days, anyway.
The article doesn't mention it, but I assume this date was chosen because it is Heinlein's Birthday.
I know this because it is also mine, and I always thought that was cool.
-Tommy
"I got a half gallon of Jack, and 2 dozen Ant Traps. I'm about to get wild." -me
That poor server has been slashdotted, of course... but you can still see thumbnails at Google Images. http://images.google.com/images?q=lady+vivamus&sa= N&tab=wi
"If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
>she'd be something of a wrist-breaker.
I'm not sure how it would work on a saber, but you see that angled grip on hammers and other tools these days. That grip would put the line of the blade in direct line with the line of your forearm. Less arm fatigue when hacking at the annoying peasantry from horseback.
Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
..the Lady Vivamus Sword (as described in Heinlein's book Glory Road)..
But what if it's not as described? Who will know? Sounds like undercover advertising to me.
I mean, why would anyone try to make MONEY off something unless there was a PRIZE involved?
When thinking about net neutrality I am often reminded on one of his quotes.
"There has grown up in the minds of certain groups in this
country the notion that because a man or a corporation has made a
profit out of the public for a number of years, the government
and the courts are charged with the duty of guaranteeing such
profit in the future, even in the face of changing circumstances
and contrary public interest."
-- Robert Heinlein, "Life-Line" (1939)
Some people are seriously trying to win some of that NASA money.
http://lunarlander.spaceracenews.com/
>> the faster our species as a whole will get off this rock and start exploring the universe.
IMHO, never gonna happen. A.I. robots will do that for us. As a species, humans have no viable business on other planets, much less starsystems. Space colonization is never going to happen on carbon based humans' account.
Now I'm going to argue once more for our A.I. robotic overlords to conquer the space: Send robots to TITAN and EUROPA, they have liquid water and possibly life & biosphere. Not americans to wonder the rocks of Mars. Rovers have given enough of them, if not, send more and bring rocks back so they can be wondered here instead. Cheaper and more scientifically informative than sending humans there and back again.
Yes, I read it. I stand by my assesssment. The guy is a charlatan and a serial entrepreneur who has never created a successful venture. But I am sure he has pocketed lots of other people's money.
an ill wind that blows no good
You know I can think of only one other writer to beat Heinlein in the totally weirded out stakes that being Philip K. Dick. Don't take my word for it, just sit down to the PKD reader in one sitting. The Turning Wheel set in a post-apocalyptic future is uncannily prescient where the 'Caucs` are at the bottom of the social pile and everyone gives praise to the church of Elron (clearness be upon him) another lunatic .. er visionary of the SF world. Who knows PKD might have made a fine mainstream writer if he only laid off the amphetamines.
davecb5620@gmail.com
You forgot his most useful invention: the water bed.
The guy that designed, built & launched a (suborbital) spaceship ? Or the guy that's actually selling tickets for spaceflight (which qualifies as commercial by definition).
What, the mod's didn't appreciate the joke? Sorry for your sake that I don't have mod points, best thing i've read today!!
2^3 * 31 * 647
You know, most people would be honored to be referred to as a "serial entrepreneur" - since that would mean that they had not only successfully created something new - they did it more than once.
Myself, I'm only an aspiring charlatan. Ready? Nothing up my sleeves....
Clear, Dark Skies