£10m for person who solves humanity’s ‘biggest challenge’
Six challenges, five years, £10m: the Longitude Prize of 1714 is being revived in an attempt to solve one of humanity’s “biggest challenges”. And the public gets to vote on what to tackle.
In 1714, the British government issued a challenge to inventors, offering a reward if they could solve one of the great scientific challenges of the time: how to pinpoint a ship’s location at sea by knowing its longitude.
It was solved by Yorkshire watchmaker and carpenter John Harrison, who designed the chronometer, the first seafaring clock that allowed accurate navigation.
Fast forward 300 years and the same challenge has been issued – only this time, the public gets to vote on which one of six major challenges should be tackled by the experts.
The Longitude Prize 2014 has been developed by the innovation foundation Nesta and the Astronomer Royal Lord Martin Rees, who revealed the six options on Monday:
- Paralysis: how can we restore movement to those with paralysis
- Antibiotics: how can we prevent the rise of resistance to antibiotics
- Food: how can we ensure everyone has nutritious, sustainable food
- Dementia: how can we help people with dementia to live independently for longer
- Flight: how can we fly without damaging the environment
- Water: how can we ensure everyone has access to safe and clean water
The vote opens on 22 May and the winning challenge will be announced on the BBC on 25 June. Those entering will have up to five years to find a solution.
Lord Rees told a news conference: “In the 18th century, parliament offered an award of £20,000, millions in today’s money. Today there is no number one problem, and the first step is to choose the theme of the prize.”
He also pointed out that today’s research agenda is on a far larger scale than 300 years ago, and the possibilities are far greater: “The £10m is less than one thousandth of what the UK spends on R&D (research and development) each year, so it maybe won’t change the world, but it could have an important impact.”
The prize was announced by the prime minister at last year’s G8, and is being judged by the Longitude Committee, made up of experts from across the scientific world and chaired by the astronomer royal.