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Google Announces Project 10^100 Winners

Posted by Soulskill on from the bet-you'd-forgotten-about-this dept.

Kilrah_il writes with news that Google has selected winners for Project 10^100, a contest to find the best ideas to change the world. Among the winners is the Khan Academy, which we've discussed previously. Google is "providing $2 million to support the creation of more courses and to enable the Khan Academy to translate their core library into the world’s most widely spoken languages." The other winning projects are: FIRST, an organization fostering math and science education through team competition; Public.Resource.Org, a government transparency effort focused on online access to public documents; Shweeb, a silly-looking method of human-powered urban transit; and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, a center aimed at promoting graduate-level math and science education in Africa.

3 of 133 comments (clear)

  1. Interesting Ideas by BJ_Covert_Action · · Score: 4, Insightful
    I like most of the projects that the summary mentioned. The Shweeb one is a bit...odd...however. From their website:

    We tend not to like travelling because it’s uncomfortable, there’s not much space, not enough leg room, we spend our time stuck in traffic or on a broken down train... and we are completely powerless to do anything about it.

    The design principles of Shweeb aim to put you, the traveller, back in control of your own space, time and power.

    Their design seems to consist of locking oneself in a suspended bubble and peddling your way to your destination. So....to clarify, they talk about the problems of transportation including not having enough leg room or space, and their solution is for you to lock yourself in a bubble....hmmmmm.

    Honestly, after looking at that project, I have to ask, "Why the hell wouldn't I just walk to my destination? Or ride my bike?"

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    Motorcycles, Robots, Space Gossip and More!
    1. Re:Interesting Ideas by iammani · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What if a bunch of people refuse to pedal; say 9/10 refuse to pedal, would the system still work?

    2. Re:Interesting Ideas by TheLink · · Score: 3, Insightful

      The bubble might make an okay windshield in the rain, maybe.

      I'm living in an equatorial zone, and it sure looks like a mini greenhouse tube to me. Sure they talk about ventilation holes, but I'm not convinced...

      Anyway, overall it looks like a stupid idea. Not sure why it won a prize.

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