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Become the Fifth Space Tourist
Posted by
kdawson
on Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:12 AM
from the getting-high dept.
from the getting-high dept.
MattSparkes writes "There have been four space tourists so far. You could become the fifth — even if you aren't a dot-com millionaire. New Scientist is running a competition to send one person on a sub-orbital flight, 62 miles above the Earth. All you have to do is write 250 words on what the best ever patented invention is. Personally I think it has to be the Levitationarium." Of course if you win you'll probably have to pay the taxes.
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Only for UK residents (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.winatriptospace.co.uk/blogs/patent/tan
1. This competition is open to anyone aged 18 or over who is ordinarily resident in the UK except for employees of Reed Business Information Limited, Volkswagen Group United Kingdom Limited or Space Adventures Ltd and their immediate families. For guidance on what 'ordinarily resident' means see
www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/cbtmanual/cbtm10020.htm.
Brits Only! (Score:5, Informative)
Note: This contest is only open to residents of the UK.
So no need to worry about the IRS demanding a share... just Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.
Re:Brits Only! (Score:5, Informative)
Fortunately for us Brits, prize winnings are tax exempt.
Parent
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At least with a car, there is an MSRP that says what it is worth. Of course, no one in their right mind pays MSRP for a car. Now, for a trip to space, when they value it at umpteen million dollars, where is the comparison to find out what it is really worth? Sure, some millionaire might pay $25 million for it, but how much would the average Joe pay. Or in my case, how much would they have to pay me to get me to go?
I
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And with a suborbital space flight, there's a web site [spaceadventures.com] that says what it's worth.
Um, the average Joe wouldn't pay anything, because he can't afford it. But the price he would pay is {checks web site} $102,000, because they don't offer an "average Joe" discount.
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You have a good point. If I were King, I would try to avoid double taxation. In the current system in the U.S., people generally think that they can not pay taxes on something if it has already been taxed, but that is not the case at all. Multiple taxations are commonplace. People think that they do not have to pay sales tax on the items they sold at a garage sale because they already paid the full sales tax when
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Why tax it at all?
Using the church-raffle car as an example, the problem is that somewhere upstream, the car was written off as a deduction on someone else's taxes. For instance, a car dealership may have given the $20,000 car to the church, and then gotten a $5,000 tax break. Someone needs to fill that $5,000 tax void now, and so it is the recipient. You could require the contest promoter to pay the taxes instead if you wanted. In the specific case of a charity raffle, the taxes should probably be excluded altogether to en
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Best Patent Ever (Score:3, Funny)
Well, now I'm torn between that and the "The ornamental design for a unisex short with reversible condom, as shown. [google.com]." After all, some of us are so busy with life that we don't have time to stop and take out a condom and put it on when we're about to have sex. For the promiscuous person on the go!
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Easy (Score:5, Insightful)
~S
They're asking for patented ones... (Score:3, Informative)
Phonograph (Edison)
Light Bulb (Edison)
AC Power System (Tesla)
Remote Control System (Tesla)
Bladeless Turbine (Tesla)
Steam Engine (Watt)
Hot Air Engine (Stirling)
And so forth...
Each of the above has had an impact or will have an impact on all of our lives in a very major way. It's a shame, really, that they're limiting the competition to UK citizens.
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~S
Re:They're asking for patented ones... (Score:5, Insightful)
Thomas Savery invented the Steam Engine, Joseph Swan invented the light bulb and Edison only invented half the phonograph, the french having figured out the recording part.
Perhaps a more useful 250 word essay would be on how the patent system enshrines the myth of the individual genius, when in fact technology moves forwards by little increments.
Parent
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At least by doing that they don't run the risk of being thrown into jail for violating some obscure US law.
Sliced Bread (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Sliced Bread (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Audi & Patents (Score:2)
Seems like they are really going for this patent thing with this competition, too. I wouldn't be suprised if the winner had to write something about Audi's patents
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You weren't impressed because you realize all of that over-engineering is what makes your car require so much maintenance.
(note: I also own an Audi, and wouldn't trade it for anything... except maybe an Aston Martin)
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Hmm. Let me see - drove out of the garage from new, and doesn't need to go back until it's either 2 years old, or it's done 20k miles. Long life service *grin*
Although I do see your point. They replaced the handbrake with a switch thing which is presumably linked to a motor. One more thing to fail and when it does, I better have some wheel chocks handy!
Over-engineered, yes - but doesn'
The Wheel (Score:4, Insightful)
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Interesting Social Experiment (Score:2)
The greatest invention, in my opinion (Score:3, Funny)
Fifth space tourist? (Score:2)
Talking about Levitationariums... (Score:2)
I'm not related to them in any way, but do plan to visit sometime soon. Thought people around here may be interested in that kind of experience as well.
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Fist Say: (Score:2, Funny)
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Use of a Laser Pointing Device to exercise cats (Score:2)
Jolyon
Gah! (Score:3, Insightful)
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It's not an orbital flight, no, but it's definitely outer space. Alan Shepherd only went 50 miles higher.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n_line It's not an orbital flight, no, but it's definitely outer space. Alan Shepherd only went 50 miles higher.
That's the boundary of space, but that doesn't mean this is space travel. I define space travel as a controlled entry into space, a controlled stay there, and a controlled return. Throwing a can up high and letting it fall back to Earth is not space travel.
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If you could throw your can up above the 62 mile mark it would be a space vehicle.
If I cross the border from Canada to the US to get some smokes from Walmart, the border guards aren't going to let me get away without ID on the grounds that I'm not really in the USA because I'm not planning to stay long.
I completely agree with you that the prize isn't of the same order as the people who s
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Unless something goes dreadfully wrong. Then it could become an orbital trip after all
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Exactly, like the other poster said - PARTS of it might just make it to orbit. So look on the bright side, at least your right foot and 2 fingers off your left hand might make it to orbit!
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Although I think it would be in fact technically space tourism, I disagree with the submission's claim that they would be the "fifth space tourist." Note that this is an assertion by the submitter, not the contest itself. In fact, the contest doesn't even make any claims that the winner will be on
oooh! (Score:3, Funny)
If those in the US could play (Score:2)
In a heart beat I'd go to space....
but wait...what if I spend a year outside the US and then collect the prize? Kind of like working outside the US and getting paid at the end even though the contract was written up months earlier when I was in the US....that sounds like a way to get around the IRS taxes for this while keeping my f
You wont go to jail (Score:2)
You would have your wages garnished, or you could work out a payment plan.
Astroturfing? (Score:2)
My guess is that the winner will be a software/crypto or business method patent, and that this will be used to fuel the push for such patents in Europe.
My picks: lightbulb and integrated circuit.... (Score:2)
The integrated circuit made computers smaller, faster, more efficient, and networkable--generating a huge amount of commerce and revenue worldwide. (Thanks Bell Labs!)
Now, less affluent people can't stand to live under these conditions--they are considered only to be a resource to be exploited by 'the corporate machine' who got to be that way thanks to the light bulb and integrated circuit.
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There is, and they're doing it. Prizes in the UK are tax exempt; this prize is only available to UK residents.
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Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie were not tourists. In fact, if I were them it would make me a little angry to be demoted to tourist status.