The first time I saw the name of this competition I envisioned a big machine with a huge crank arm being industriously twisted around and around by a horde of scientists in white lab coats. And although I got the details wrong (lab coats are optional!) the basic idea, people working together to achieve something big, was accurate.
The NSF 2026 Idea Machine is a competition to help set the U.S. agenda for fundamental research in science and engineering. Participants can earn prizes and receive public recognition by suggesting the pressing research questions that need to... Read more
