Links and Elevators
NASA just finished the first stage of their Centennial Challenge competition (link). This is a new series of technology competitions that they modeled on the X Prize contest. The X Prize, as I'm sure you recall, was a contest to see which group or company could design an aircraft that could carry two people into space and make a return trip into space within two days. It was worth one million dollars and was thought to be the precursor to private space travel.
The Centennial Challenges are an entire series of challenges like that. The first challenge this past year was to create a super-strong rope that could be used as space elevator. The second challenge was to create a robot to travel up a line like this carrying a heavy load. These two competitions were worth $50,000 each but no one won either one. Next year's continuation of this series will be worth $200,000 instead. Space tech is cool (says the sci-fi fan).
And if that bores you then have fun with this game instead. The best time that I've seen so far is 22 seconds.
And in case anyone missed it, here's that article about Richard that was in the London Free Press last week.
7 comments:
48 seconds
Hey, I can believe it, Richard. All you have to do is memorize the pattern.
26.448 seconds.
68 seconds!
Can't believe I wasted a whole minute doing that.
Fun stuff...
I'm not gonna lie to ya, JAG, 20 seconds is my personal best. I blame it on my crappy mouse (and a lack of eye/hand coordination). ~L
My best time is 5 seconds. Then the kids wandered over and wondered what I was doing - I had to stop for their sakes.
Space elevators are cool - but not so much for what they are (though that is pretty nifty tech) but for what they could enable the species to do. We've got endless room and resources 50 miles away.
But 'straight up' is expensive. Reduce that transaction cost so 'space' is as close in monetary terms as Australia and you'll see some interesting things happen. And most of the 'good' stuff will happen here.
86 sec.
thanks
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