Peter Diamandis and the X Prize

Even as early as 2005, Peter Diamandis possessed a rare thing: a optimistic outlook on our future. In a world where theories of our eminent destruction outnumber theories on how to overcome, Diamandis' ideas become spots of light in a sea of grey. He delivered a TED Talk in July 2005 discussing space exploration, our "next great leap," and how it is humanity's "moral imperative" to do so. How did he plan on accomplishing this? He made a competition out of it.

The X Prize Foundation was created by Diamandis in 1995. It's mission is to "bring about radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity" in the field of technology with categories that include exploration, life sciences, energy and the environment, and education and global development. Today, the foundation is regarded as one of the leading innovators of scientific research. And this isn't some nerdy, global science fair. The developer of the winning prototype receives 10 million dollars.