two more interesting suggestions

A couple of people sent me comments, I don't know which posts they were in reference to, so I'm just going to address them here.

First, someone asked me about The X Prize , presumably with regard to my suggestions about personalized genomes (?). I'm not sure what to make of this since the comment was so brief.

a) If you meant I should apply for a job there, they're not hiring scientists directly except for upper-level administrative positions. But I don't think that's what you meant.

b) If you meant I should enter the contest, I think you're crazy at best, naive at worst (or maybe the other way around?). Everybody knows the people who win these sorts of things, like the NIH Pioneer Award , do not win for their great ideas, but for what they've already accomplished and who likes them personally. Translation: nominations for unknown postdocs (like me) are not welcome. Letters from Nobel-prizewinning friends are a MUST.

c) Finally, I don't really like their philosophy. I don't believe that competition is the best way to get the best ideas from the best people. Never did.

***

Another person suggested I should write children's books. This is an interesting idea to me, since as a kid I loved reading adult books (by which I mean, novels, you dirty minds!), and I don't want or have any kids of my own. So if the person who suggested this wants to expound, feel free. I suspect it was meant to be a sarcastic dig on how idealistic I sound in some of these posts, or something??