Peter Diamandis talks up "Dreaming Big." XPrize (I'm on the outer advisory board) uses contests and rivalry to propel many cool concepts. Great outcomes, like NASA's Innovative & Advanced Concepts program - (NIAC)*
@davidbrin I came across this before, and it's got rather deeply capitalistic notions of funding and innovation.
I'm sure by now that while this can create some good outcomes, the funding methods also determine the shape of the outcomes.
Which is to say, what society is missing a little are funding methods that are not as strongly tied to commercial exploitation. They exist, but are relatively rare.
But that's what you need for the next crazy idea like the Internet Archive or Wikipedia.
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