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Problem-Solving Prizes

An innovative new weekly programme looking at how we can solve the world's problems.

People cannot resist a prize, especially when there is money to go with a medal, and for hundreds of years that basic human urge has been used to push humanity forward. When you focus minds and money towards a simple target, incredible things can happen - from the clock that won the Longitude prize money in the 1700s to the spacecraft that won the XPRIZE in 2004. Are there any problems that a big enough prize cannot solve?

Producer: William Kremer

(Photo: Pilot Mike Melvill standing on Space Ship One, which went on to win the Ansari XPRIZE. Credit: Getty Images)
This programme uses a sound effect created by Freesound user bone666138

Available now

23 minutes

Last on

Wed 18 Apr 2018 19:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Tue 17 Apr 2018 02:06GMT
  • Tue 17 Apr 2018 03:06GMT
  • Tue 17 Apr 2018 06:06GMT
  • Tue 17 Apr 2018 07:06GMT
  • Tue 17 Apr 2018 14:06GMT
  • Tue 17 Apr 2018 19:06GMT
  • Wed 18 Apr 2018 19:06GMT

People fixing the world on YouTube

Watch stories of people changing their world on the World Service English YouTube channel