Yes, this sounds very strange, mixing science with things like contests? isn't that... unscientific, or uncool?
Well, for all those who may want to criticize this approach, please just go out into the real world and observe People.
CONTEST 2036 is fun, interactive, exciting, simple, and rewarding - again, in a real Win-Win sort of way, for all who play
(and even those who are humbuggers and fince-sitters and just want a free ride).
It's modeled after not one but several types of contests and lotteries, but this is NOT a lottery and winning is not just jup to chance or
(astronomically) low odds.
Functionally, it's like a typical US state lottery - most of the money goes for education (well, it should, but too much (like in Virginia)
gets spent on other stuff including the administrators), and enough gets paid out as prizes to make it worthwhile and attractive.
So seventy percent (70%) of what comes in gets spent on the ASTRIC science and technology work, project activity that includes not only R&D and engineering but
education as well.
Zero % gets spent on overhead or admin because that is being covered by TETRADYN - this Contest is not going to cost
us "extra." (We are not going to have a staff of people dedicated to just
administering contest. Consider it part of TETRADYN's overhead operation.)
Thirty percent (30%) of what comes in goes out as prizes of one sort or another.
How the Contest Works
The official start-day is April 13, 2009 (20-yr. marker before the first critical fly-by and potential orbital adjustment
of the Apophis asteroid) but there will be progressively more details here after Jan. 1, 2009.
Prizes are awarded on the basis of entries that are submitted. An entry has two parts with one cost
payable at time of submission ($10.00 USD). The first part is the "pure fun and games" part and is simple.
The optional part is for the more interesting prizes by far. In this way,
the ASTRIC Contest has something that can appeal for everyone, and a variety of ways for anyone to win something.
Simple entries - $10.00 each and a selection of four numbers - a place and time in some future.
For each entry, you estimate a Day, Hour and Lat/Long location (degrees, only) for a potential Asteroid Impact from a list of "sightings"
that are announced. You will not have enough data by which to calculate any orbits or trajectory paths because there are some
randomized elements in the algorithm for projecting the path of the selected "rock." There is naturally a very high degree of
chance in making your guess-timate; when the next "run" is made, an impact is calculated, and those entries with values closest will be
the recipients of prizes. While there is some randomness, there is definitely a lot of room for carefully reasoned calculations, and thus this is not a "lottery"
where everything depends upon some roll of the dice or configuration of bouncing numbered balls!
The number of prizes and amounts of individual prizes given at periodic announcements will vary according to the number of entries submitted.
Optional "big prize" entries - just like the above, but also a form submission.
For each entry, you are also submitting Your ASTRIC-Relevant Cool Idea. Something about the future, about space science and engineering,
about asteroid collision avoidance or post-event response. It does not have to be specifically tied in with ASTRIC per se. It can be
about all sorts of disaster prevention and response. It will be submitted using a specific form (available by April 13, 2009) and there
are limits on text and other data to be supplied.
Each such entry will be evaluated and ranked by a review panel. Finalists will be invited to compete in a second stage that will
involve submission of more detailed written material.
Prize amounts and types will vary according to levels of sponsorship and entries made overall but all details will be available to selected (invited)
finalists at the time when such invitations for second-stage submission materials are made.
Prizes
Prizes are of four types and winners get some choice about what type and form of winning they receive. All of the details are
explained in a separate document that will be publicly available shortly after Jan. 1, 2009 and before April 13, 2009, which is
the Official "Day One" of this contest and the 20-yr. marker before the first critical fly-by and potential orbital adjustment
of the Apophis asteroid. In summary the information is as follows:
Types of prizes:
- Cash, plain and simple, in varying amounts from $100 to as high as $100,000
- Travel and accommodations to very interesting places and times around the world, all relevant to our whole future ecosystem
and planetary/economic development, and not only about any possible asteroid collision event! Locations include:
- Tahiti and Bora Bora
- Easter Island and Galapagos
- Lake Baikal (Siberia) and Mongolia
- Japan
- Costa Rica
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Canary Islands
- Greece and the Aegean
- Educational scholarships for college and graduate study in aerospace-related science and engineering fields
- Business Development scholarships and incubator-mentorship grants for small businesses in aerospace-related fields
- "Green" goods that include property and sponsor-donated consumer goods
Each of the non-cash prizes has a valuation that will be between approx. $1,000 and $500,000.
More details are coming, but also, you can take the initiative and find out more right now.
Just contact us.
