X PRIZE Education at FIRST Championship in St. Louis!

On April 26-30 X PRIZE attended the FIRST® Championship in St. Louis to promote the FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) Global Innovation Award Presented by X PRIZE. In this competition, FLL® teams across the globe competed for the chance to win up to $20,000 in support of patenting their proposed invention. The theme of this year’s competition, Body Forward, emphasized biomedical engineering solutions to human needs.

X PRIZE Exhibit Proved to be Very Popular

Mitch Aiken with the lucky winner of a Genetics and DNA Kit

Members of Dragoneer Medics Decsribe their project to LEGO owner Kjeld Kristiansen

The X PRIZE Foundation booth at the FIRST® Championship showcased the Foundation’s education outreach initiatives. Activities included creating key chains in the form of DNA sequences and a raffle for DNA Kits and an iPAD.

X PRIZE’s Chanda Gonzales, Alan Zack and Mitch Aiken with lucky winner of an X PRIZE-branded iPad

The Moonbots Challenge, an education outreach program of the Google Lunar X PRIZE, was also on display with two teams from last year’s competition demonstrating their winning LEGO® MINDSTORMS® robots.

Bob Weiss with members of 2010 Moonbots team

X PRIZE Celebrates DNA Day!

On April 15^th the X PRIZE Foundation joined the Saint Louis Science Center for a full day of interactive activities celebrating National DNA Day as part of its education outreach for the Archon Genomics X PRIZE.

Hundreds of science center visitors learned about deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) by making Inheritance Bracelets based on several one-gene traits, applying temporary DNA tattoos, and creating beaded key chains in the form of DNA sequences. DNA Day celebrates the discovery of the DNA double helix and the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003.

X PRIZE also marked DNA Day by unveiling the world’s largest LEGO DNA sculpture, the “Building Bricks of Life” created by famed brick artist Nathan Sawaya. The sculpture stands just under seven feet and was a hit among the school groups and families that visited the Saint Louis Science center throughout the day.

The DNA celebrations continued with an overnight DNA themed camp-in at the science center, where nearly 60 campers and chaperons had the opportunity to build DNA key chains, extract DNA from fruit, and participate in DNA Disco.

X PRIZEr, Kacy Qua, Soars Weightless with James Cameron and Friends

Interested in what goes through one’s mind when anticipating a Zero-G flight?

Last month, AVATAR Director, James Cameron and several other entrepreneurs “went weightless” in a special Zero-G flight to raise money for the X PRIZE Foundation. Two seats were reserved for two very lucky X PRIZE staff members. To decide which employees were eligible, a “reverse raffle” was conducted. The names of all of the staff were placed into a hat and each day one or two names were drawn. Those unfortunate souls whose names were pulled from the hat were then OUT of the running (we’re not bitter – we SWEAR!). In the end, there were two left standing – Kacy Qua, X PRIZE Manager of Alliances and Leslie Surley, X PRIZE Senior Director of Sponsorship Services.

Follow Kacy as she walks us through a timeline of what it felt like when the X PRIZE Zero-G contest was first announced, to the winning moment when she learned she would be flying weightless with some of Hollywood’s biggest names, to actually being gravity free.

Take it away, Kacy…

Post Winning, Pre-Flight Stages

1. Relief – My desk is located directly across from the office where the Zero-G raffle door was held. Every day – throughout the entire month of September - I would watch as one to three names were removed from the door. This was my own personal reverse Russian Roulette. Although I BELIEVED, each day at elimination time, my heart DID beat a little bit faster…

2. Disbelief – I am the last (2^nd to last) man (woman) standing (floating). I am going on a Zero-G Flight. With James Cameron. And Elon Musk. And Peter Diamandis. No big deal.

3. Appreciation – Wow, X PRIZE, you have really out done yourself this time. I feel very grateful.

4. Damage Control - How many ways can I ensure I don’t puke:

a. Take Dramamine and be tired – no way.

b. No alcohol the night before - on a Friday?! The sacrifices I make.

c. No orange juice or other acid drinks – no problem.

d. Eat very little that morning – um, I guess so.

e. Take prescription and be caffeinated – sure.

f. Avoid all of the crazy stunts I intend to engage in on the flight – backflips, front flips, ninja kicks, general plane domination…riiiiiiight.

5. Planning - How do I stake out enough space to do at least one back flip? Will I be the “crazy hippie” if I get into lotus pose? Will I have astronaut dreams? How should I wear my hair (gotta look good for those cameras!)?

6. Posturing - Is there a system for weeding out the other passengers most likely to puke, and

a. Finding a spot furthest away from them, and doing this without

b. Letting them know that I have classified them as a “puker”

7. Praying - Of course there is an occasional, “please don’t let us crash,” with a reflection of the irony that any other flight which consisted of the plane hurdling toward the earth at ultra-fast pace would be my worst nightmare, yet with this particular flight, it’s the goal.

Reactions to the News

As I began to tell others about my upcoming Zero-G flight, I discovered that there were three types of people who had specific reactions to my news –

1. Those who know exactly what Zero-G is and are jazzed/jealous about me going. They want me to take and bring back pictures, do backflips and give high fives.

2. Those who think I am going to space! (wow. Imagine? Le sigh.) I think this myth is propagated by the fact that anyone who knows me has heard me tell the great X PRIZE mythology of opening up private space. These people think I went on Virgin Galactic, into sub orbit.

3. Those who think this is dangerous/crazy and just don’t get it.

Amazingly, group number 2 is the largest. Even after I have explained that it is not a space flight (or “inner outer space” as it’s been described), people still didn’t really get it. While this is incredibly humorous, it has really highlighted the lack of general awareness about space technology and space accessibility to the general public.

Post Flight Reflections

Thank god I didn’t throw up. I didn’t even come close.

The thing that surprised me the most was the utter chaos of having no gravity. On the ground, you can walk. In a pool, you can swim. In Zero-Gravity, you need to touch a wall, floor, another person – anything solid- to move. That didn’t mean that we didn’t try to swim – it just meant that instead of moving in the direction we wanted to go, we were just kicking each other.

The coolest part of the flight was when we did the “Spiderman.” Essentially we started by lying on the ground on our bellies. As soon as we felt gravity go to zero, we climbed the wall and attempted to go up to the ceiling, and then back down the other side, while remaining attached to the wall. I got about halfway then just “fell” into a backward somersault down the middle.

When can I go back? I am looking forward to wearing my name tag right side up, since I have graduated from totally clueless first timer to super jazzed weightless pro.

Commercial flights in Coach Class just got even worse.

Thank you to Peter Diamandis, X PRIZE CEO and Chairman; Robert K. Weiss, X PRIZE President and Vice Chair; Heather Carter, X PRIZE Director of Human Resources; James Cameron, Director and Producer; Jim Gianopulos, X PRIZE Foundation Trustee and Chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment; and, of course, Zero-G!!

Keeping up with PIAXP Award Week

It's a busy week over here at the X PRIZE Foundation (XPF) as we are gearing up for a HUGE and EXCITING moment...the awarding of our second X PRIZE! On Thursday, September 16, the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE will take its place in history as up to $10 million will be awarded to as many as three teams. It's an important moment for the Foundation, but also for each and everyone one of you as the ceremony does not mark the end of the competition, but, rather, signifies the beginning of truly transforming the way we think about cars and super-efficent vehicles. We can only look ahead from this moment, and we here at X PRIZE believe that the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE (PIAXP) will revolutionize the automotive industry just as the Ansari X PRIZE launched a new era of private spaceflight. So, get ready for what's to come!

With that said, here's a little breakdown of how you can keep up with all the buzz regarding this week's big event! We are busy spreading the word and want you to be a part of it.

LiveStream of PIAXP Award Ceremony

Can't make it to D.C.? Want to witness the excitement of the winning teams? Be sure to catch the livestream of the award ceremony on Thursday at 10:30amEDT/7:30amPDT (yes, it's early for the West Coast folk, but, if it's any consolation, you'll be rooting and hollering in spirit with all of us at X PRIZE headquarters in Playa Vista who couldn't make the trek to D.C.). Check out http://www.progressiveautoxprize.org/ for details! You can also connect and participate live with other viewers via UStream at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/progressive-insurance-automotive-x-prize.

Facebook

Like what we do? "Like" us on FaceBook! Check out the official PIAXP page at www.facebook.com/piaxp or the official XPF page at www.facebook.com/xprize.

Twitter

Like to Tweet? Follow us on Twitter to receive up-to-date information about the award ceremony as we receive it. Be sure to use the official hashtag of the award ceremony, #PIAXPAward. Like Trivia? Be part of our Twitter Trivia where we ask different questions about PIAXP. Be the first to answer correctly and you'll walk away with one-of-a-kind PIAXP item (not even all of us X PRIZErs have some of these things). Trivia contest will end tomorrow, September 15.

YouTube

Are you a video person? Check out our youtube channel at www.youtube.com/xprize to see all of the cool PIAXP videos that our production team has produced. Here, you'll find interviews with XPF officials, teams and some really cool footage of the cars as they tested their vehicles at the Michigan International Speedway this summer. Pretty awesome stuff!

One-Hour National Geographic Television Special

Set your DVR/TiVo! National Geographic Channel will present a one-hour television special, "X PRIZE Cars: Accelerating the Future," on Thursday, September 16 at 9pmEDT/6pmPDT. Tune in for all the highlights, drama and behind-the-scenes look on today’s innovators and their race to build a 100MPGe vehicle to capture a $10 million prize and revolutionize the auto industry.

So there you have it! A quick overview of where you can be part of all the PIAXP action. We hope that you'll help us spread the word and have some fun with us!

By: Valerie Arias, Associate, Communications

Mix It All Up in a Melting Pot (Part One)

The Foundation receives hundreds of inquiries a year from people around the world wanting to know how they can get their idea developed into an X PRIZE or X CHALLENGE and how they can use an idea they have already developed to win an active X PRIZE or X CHALLENGE competition. What we have gathered from this is that you all want to know HOW TO GET INVOLVED, and I am here to tell you that what the people want, the people will get! As such, I am going to dedicate the next two Prize Development blogs to answering some of the most frequently submitted questions in regards to the X PRIZE idea submission and idea selection process!

Q. Does the X PRIZE Foundation consider X PRIZE and X CHALLENGE competition ideas submitted by individuals?

A. Absolutely! The Foundation believes that innovation is the key to implementing revolutionary change within our society, and that the heart of such innovation lies within anyone who dares to dream. Not only do we regularly review and assess ideas submitted by the general public for X CHALLENGE and X PRIZE competitions, but we also encourage suggestions on specific prize areas (e.g. plastic pollution) in which you feel that an X PRIZE can make a monumental difference. If you wish to submit a potential prize concept or prize subject area idea to the Prize Development department, please email us at idea@xprize.org. Further, the X PRIZE Foundation often reaches out to the public specifically for the purposes of harvesting and utilizing the awesome ideas that we know are incubating out there! The people that entered our Crazy Green Idea (http://www.xprize.org/crazy-green-idea) competition not only knocked our socks off with their inventive “green” technologies, but also provided inspiration for several different larger Energy & Environment prize concepts that are currently in development.

Q. How do you choose which prize ideas to develop into X PRIZES or an X CHALLENGES?

A. Unfortunately, there is no single answer to this question. While we welcome prize idea submissions and feedback at any time, the number of new prize ideas that we choose to develop each year can vary based on a number of different factors. Some of these factors include:

1. The number of prizes that are currently in development. At any given time, there can be as few as five or as many as twelve prize ideas in development. As we mentioned in our last blog, the Prize Design process can take up to 8 months to complete, so the more ideas that the Prize Development team is currently developing, the less bandwidth we have to begin development on new prize concepts.

2. The subject matter the prize concept is addressing. As you know, there are four X PRIZE Foundation Prize Groups: Exploration, Life Sciences, Education & Global Development, and Energy & Environment. Whenever possible, we try to have a relatively equal amount of prize concepts being developed across the four Prize Groups, so if there are four prizes currently in development in Life Sciences, we might not be as apt to begin development on a new Life Sciences prize idea in favor of developing a prize idea within one of the other three Prize Groups.

3. The marketplace. The X PRIZE Foundation keeps an ear to the ground in order to always be up-to-date on the most critical issues facing the nation as well as the solutions people across the world are developing to address these issues. In fact, our most recently launched competition, the Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X CHALLENGE (www.iprizecleanoceans.org ) was developed in record time (a matter of weeks) specifically to address the lack of an acceptable solution to stem the widespread disaster that inevitably results from an oil spill. I say that to say this: if your prize idea is relevant, timely, informative, and not being done elsewhere, you may very well become the mind behind the next X PRIZE or X CHALLENGE competition!

Q. I heard about an X PRIZE or X CHALLENGE competition that I know that I can win- what do I do?

A. If the competition has in fact launched, please check the competition website for more details on the team registration process and the official rules of the competition. For anyone interested in competing in the Wendy Schmidt Oil Cleanup X CHALLENGE, please be advised that that competition has NOT YET launched, but you can PRE-REGISTER your team to compete in the competition by visiting (www.iprizecleanoceans.org). Once you have completed the pre-registration form, you will receive regular updates on the metrics, guidelines, and status of the competition. If you cannot find a website for a specific prize competition that you are interested in competing in, the odds are that the competition is not yet active and it would be best to continue to check the www.xprize.org website for more information as it is developed. I receive hundreds of letters, pictures, and props every year from people that want to enter prize competitions that they have heard about and WE LOVE YOUR ENTHUSIASM, but unfortunately there is a method to our madness and the only way to enter a prize competition is:

1. For the competition to be actively accepting applications from potential teams

2. To submit said application through the official website for that competition

Whew, that was an eyeful! I hope that those of you that are interested in submitting a prize idea to the Prize Development department or have submitted a prize idea in the past found that helpful! As the title of the blog suggests, we feel that the best way to keep creating prize competitions that prioritize innovation and spark worldwide revolution is to take every idea or suggestion we receive, mix them all up in a melting pot, and work together to build on the strengths of our collective creativity in order to impact REAL CHANGE. More Q&A to come in Part Two!

By: Taryn Williams, Executive Coordinator, Prize Development

The Competition Isn’t Over Yet: Why Validation Matters

With the on-track stages behind us and the results of those on-track stages prominently available on the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE website, one might think the winners of this $10M competition are a foregone conclusion. Well, here are a few reasons why you should think again.

The winners must pass the Validation Stage, during which they must achieve an efficiency result on the dynamometer high enough to ensure that, when averaged 50/50 with the on-track results, it equals 100 MPGe or better. A dynamometer, or "dyno" for short, is a device that allows engineers to test a vehicle by simulating the loads associated with driving without actually moving (basically, a treadmill for cars - think of the recent Lexus super car commercial that revs its engine until it shatters a wine glass).

Though two teams advancing to Validation are alone in their respective classes, Edison2 (Mainstream Class) and X-Tracer (Alternative Tandem Class), they each must still meet some very difficult requirements on the chassis dynamometer. If you recall, competition officials ruled that Edison2 was not at fault for the incidents at Coast Down that damaged the engines of both of their Mainstream Class entries. Consequently, officials granted Edison2 a waiver from Validation testing at Argonne National Lab as the cost and timetable for repair and calibration of the engines was not feasible. However, because Roush had conducted dynamometer testing on the Edison2 vehicles that were fielded at Knockout and Finals, officials have agreed to review these third party results to determine whether they can be accepted in lieu of testing at Argonne. Tune in to the Award Ceremony on September 16 to learn how the officials ultimately ruled.

That leaves the Alternative Class. To verify the on-track results from Michigan International Speedway, vehicles must repeat efficiency, range, and emissions testing – not an easy feat on the dyno where vehicles can’t benefit from air cooling at speed. In addition, they must survive an entirely new test for gradeability, also known as a simulated hill climb. To do so, they must maintain a minimum 55 mph speed on a simulated 4 percent grade (incline) continuously for 15 minutes. They must also surmount fuel economy, range, and greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions tests.

All vehicles must meet strict EPA emissions standards and achieve an on-road life cycle greenhouse gas emissions level of 200 equivalent grams of CO2 per mile or less. This is also known as a wells-to-wheels (WTW) calculation that accounts for the upstream pollution associated with extraction, transportation, storage, and distribution of the energy that drives the wheels. Vehicles that don’t achieve these requirements during Validation Testing will not be eligible for the Grand Prize.

For the five teams in the Alternative Side-by-Side Class, placement was determined by the Combined Performance & Efficiency Test, the last event conducted at the Finals Stage. Given that Team Li-ion achieved 171.4 MPGe in on-track testing, they do not appear to be in danger of falling short of the fuel economy mark. However, should they fail any component of testing on the dyno, including the simulated hill climb, they would fail to pass the Validation Stage. In that event, eligibility for the prize would fall to the next team in the placement order, in this case RaceAbout.

Validation Stage testing is no slam dunk. Teams must not only pass these very strenuous challenges, they must achieve 100 MPGe or better when averaged 50/50 with on-track results to claim the prize.

The bottom line: No one will know for sure until the winners are revealed at the final Award Ceremony on September 16th. So stay tuned!

By: Eric Cahill, Senior Director, Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE

Flying high with Academy Award Winner James Cameron!

Ever wanted to experience weightlessness? How about strike up a conversation with Oscar® and Golden Globe® winning filmmaker James Cameron? Or what about tapping into that childhood dream of being an astronaut? Well, you can do all three by bidding for one of three seats for the once-in-a-lifetime adventure aboard an extraordinary Zero Gravity “Weightless Flight.” The rare opportunity to fly like Superman and float like an astronaut - alongside James Cameron - will be auctioned on eBay to the general public, beginning Tuesday, August 31 and ending Friday, September 3. All proceeds from the auction will go to the X PRIZE Foundation and will be used to help design future prizes intended to drive radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. Also joining the flight are Jim Gianopulos, Chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment and Tim Ferriss, best-selling author of ‘The 4-Hour Workweek.’

The weightless flight will take place aboard G-FORCE ONE, a specially modified, FAA-approved, Boeing 727-200 aircraft. The flight is identical to those used by NASA to train its astronauts and replicates the same levels of weightlessness enjoyed on Mars (1/3-gravity), the Moon (1/6-gravity) and zero gravity. Martha Stewart, Ozzy Osbourne and Stephen Hawking are just a few notable passengers who’ve flown with ZERO-G and proclaimed it to be one of the most thrilling experiences of their lives.

Don’t miss out on the chance of a lifetime! The ZERO-G flight will take off from the Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 9, 2010. To find out more information about the auction and to bid on seats, visit http://eBay.com/cameron.

By: Valerie Arias, Associate, Communications