The Cellar could win $40,000

[Undertoad]

A rack of servers at a major data center with unlimited bandwidth

...and every year we give away one used car to a needy and deserving Dwellar.

[glatt]

The challenge is to locate ten moored red weather balloons located at ten fixed locations in the continental United States. Balloons will be in readily accessible locations, visible from nearby roadways and accompanied by DARPA representatives. All balloons are scheduled to go on display at all locations at 10:00AM (ET) until approximately 4:00 PM (local time) on Saturday, December 5, 2009. Should weather or technical difficulties arise with the launch, the display will be delayed until Sunday, December 6 or later, depending on conditions. If, for any reason, the balloon is displayed in one location then moved to a second location, either location will be accepted. Entrants are required to register and submit entries on the event website. Latitudes and longitudes are entered in degree-minute-second (DDD-MM-SS) format as explained on the website Coordinates must be entered with an error of less than one arc-minute to be accepted. In the event that one or more balloons is never displayed, this fact will be noted on the event website and the rules adjusted accordingly.

In the event that no entry containing ten correct locations is received during the contest period, DARPA will determine the entry with the largest number of correct entries. If the largest number is five or greater, the first entrant who submitted this number will be awarded the prize. No prize will be awarded for submission of fewer than five correct sets of locations.

DARPA will issue one check only, and only to the one individual registered on the event website.

http://networkchallenge.darpa.mil/Rules.pdf

[Spexxvet]

I've already seen some:

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by Spexxvet

It's just a role - he's an actah! He can Stretch. Like Olivier.

He's a Master Thespian.

[Cicero]

Remember: A single $40,000 cash prize will be awarded to the first participant to submit the correct latitude and longitude of all ten weather balloons within the contest period. Entries are accepted until noon, 12:00 PM (ET) December 14, 2009. No prize for second place will be awarded.


Do we have any New York people?!?

[ZenGum]

You people do know who DARPA is, don't you?

Why are they doing this? What crazy mind-control scheme are the industrial-military complex up to now?

tin hats all 'round. Pass 'em out.

[Cicero]

One of you brainiacs should figure out how much it is after taxes, and how much work we will miss after we are rounded up. Collectively. Where's glatt?

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by Cicero

Where's glatt?

Clinging to a red weather balloon in a state near you!

[Shawnee123]

Originally Posted by Cicero

Remember: A single $40,000 cash prize will be awarded to the first participant to submit the correct latitude and longitude of all ten weather balloons within the contest period. Entries are accepted until noon, 12:00 PM (ET) December 14, 2009. No prize for second place will be awarded.


Do we have any New York people?!?

In the event no one finds all 10, they will award the prize to the highest number correct, as long as it's over 5.

[Clodfobble]

Dang, we got beat already.

DARPA said in a written statement that the MIT team discovered the locations of the 8-foot-wide balloons less than nine hours after they launched, around 10 a.m. ET.