May 2nd, 2003
The Methuselah Mouse Prize
Prizes in science encourage progress; just look at the results of the $10 million X Prize in rocketry. Many companies compete to win, and the field as a whole is advanced far more than if the original $10 million were spent directly on research. This article is a proposal for a similar prize for research that produces mice with the longest lives. This sort of thing is an excellent idea, and well worth funding in and of itself. It's publicity, advocacy and incentive all wrapped up in one: very smart.