[Rockhounds] Update on Barrick's "Unlock The Value" Competition

[Tim Jokela Jr.]

Very cool, Kreigh.

T


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kreigh Tomaszewski" <Kreigh at tomaszewski.net>
To: "Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors" 
<rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 10:06 PM
Subject: [Rockhounds] Update on Barrick's "Unlock The Value" Competition


> Last fall Barrick Mining announced a $10M prize for anyone that could come 
> up with a method of extracting 180M ounces of silver encapsulated in 
> quartz ore from one of their mines. It was announced to this list a few 
> days before the deadline. I registered at http://www.unlockthevalue.com 
> and read all the details.
>
> I threw on my thinking cap, tossed around some odd ideas, did some 
> research, and came up with something fun over a rare free weekend. I 
> submitted just before the deadline. Then I found out they had moved the 
> deadline out by four months because of the overwhelming response.
>
> My timely submission got a sequence number over 100,000; I stood by my 
> initial submission even though I had months to revise it. I had taken my 
> long shot.
>
> Each participant was required to sign a 38 page legal contract that 
> defined how intellectual property rights would be handled should the 
> submission pass the first round of screening. I was very pleased when 
> Barrick executed my contract and informed me I had one of only 238 
> proposals that were being advanced to their expert panel for further 
> consideration.
>
> Today Barrick informed me my proposal was not one of the sixteen being 
> advanced to the funded phase two pilot stage. Selection was based on the 
> risk associated with the proposed technology, as well its viability, the 
> strength of the supporting data, and associated health, safety and 
> environmental issues. Per Barrick's notice, the technological fields 
> detailed in the selected proposals include, microwave, laser, 
> electromagnetic, inorganic and organic chemistry, bioleaching, and 
> mechanics.
>
> There is still a (very) remote chance none of the sixteen proposals will 
> work out and my proposal could be re-evaluated, so I can't share my 
> details yet (I have a signed contract; the prize has not been awarded 
> yet). I never seriously expected to win, but I sure had fun trying!
>
> Please take away the lesson that Rockhounding is a gateway to real 
> science, and that amateurs can be taken seriously when they pursue it. If 
> it is not grown, it must be mined. Learning more about what comes out of 
> the earth can take you to interesting places/spaces, and give you a 
> lifetime of joy.
>
> Kreigh
>
>
> -- 
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