Are Prize Competitions The Best Way To Jumpstart Research?
from the only-in-certain-areas dept
With so much hype over the "big" contests like the Grand Challenge (getting autonomous vehicles to race across the desert) and the X-Prize (reaching space in a private launch vehicle), some are now wondering if these types of contests should be used more widely to jumpstart certain research initiatives. There's a history here, of course. Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic was based on a similar prize. However, as the article notes, there just aren't that many areas where such prizes really make sense. So far, it seems like some of the new offerings that are coming out, are simply updates on the older awards, rather than any specific new challenge. In some ways, it seems like these prizes only work when they're on challenges that capture the public's imagination.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
