OTHER PRIZES OF NOTE

For purposes of analogy with the X PRIZE effort, this document describes some other high-technology prizes that have been offered, responded to with large interest, and won.

Many of these prizes were offered for such feats as were deemed impossible at the time. At this time the only non-space related prize is the Feynmann Prize, which was offered by world-reknown physicist Richard Feynmann. The challenge required someone to build a working electric motor the size of the tip of a pencil, with a cash purse of a scant $1,000.

The prize was won almost immediately - even though when Feynmann announced it many decried the prize as something that simply could not be done. The pinhead-sized motor is still on dispaly at the California Institute of Technology today. Thus, even for a small amount of money, history has shown that people are willing to push the limit of technology to develop things faster and better, for the glory of winning a prize!


X PRIZESM and NEW SPIRIT OF ST. LOUISSM are service marks of The X PRIZE Foundation, Inc.