• Log in with Facebook Log in with Twitter Log In with Google      Sign In    
  • Create Account
  LongeCity
              Advocacy & Research for Unlimited Lifespans

Photo
- - - - -

We did not make the cut for the AMEX members project


  • Please log in to reply
16 replies to this topic

#1 brokenportal

  • Life Member, Moderator
  • 7,046 posts
  • 589
  • Location:Stevens Point, WI

Posted 09 September 2008 - 07:53 PM


They officially announced the top 25 for the AMEX project today. The board of advisors made the final decision in who gets to be in the top 25 and unfortunatly we did not make the cut. So all the efforts are of course called off. Let everybody you may know that was going to help know.

This reminds me of the quotes, "Success is the ability to go from failure to failure with out loss of enthusiasm." and "Great victors have all encountered crushing blows before defeating their adversaries."

I dont know about everybody else but everybody involved and the whole thing has been inspiring and caused me to raise my bar. Im more than ready to move on to the next project and drive it to success. We've got an MFURI fund raiser in myspace that was working to raise $1,000 by the end of the year but we are moving it up to $10,000. We will need help with that so let me know if you have any ideas.

I like the networking we've gained from this. Lets keep this boat moving, death awaits us and we want to be late. Im also going to get to work with the people in on it and anybody else who wants to get in on the Imminst recruitment drive. I learned some interesting tips and tricks through dealing with the AMEX project. We can gather everybodies ideas on that and turn that into a golden opportunity. Ill bring it up at wednesdays 4pm cst meeting.

Im also going to delve into the bullet list projects organization plan. Ive got a hundred dollars to spare since I dont need to use it on the members project now so Im going to put that into the bullet list.

It was a pleasure and an inspiration making the members project run with everybody, thanks. The battle against the pro aging trance and the grim reaper is still raging. Ill see you all out on the field.

The future is ours, -Eric

#2 JMorgan

  • Guest
  • 645 posts
  • 1
  • Location:Queens, NY

Posted 09 September 2008 - 08:30 PM

I can only assume that the advisory board did not pick us because they couldn't find a "fulfilling organization" to be attached to the project. I don't see how else they could ignore the amount of votes and impressive volume of comments on their discussion board.

This makes me think that perhaps, rather than submitting just a proposal, the Methuselah Foundation should apply as a fulfilling organization for an event in the future.

#3 Ghostrider

  • Guest
  • 1,996 posts
  • 56
  • Location:USA

Posted 09 September 2008 - 08:38 PM

I can only assume that the advisory board did not pick us because they couldn't find a "fulfilling organization" to be attached to the project. I don't see how else they could ignore the amount of votes and impressive volume of comments on their discussion board.

This makes me think that perhaps, rather than submitting just a proposal, the Methuselah Foundation should apply as a fulfilling organization for an event in the future.


I got the e-mail from AMEX in my mail box...I thought it was decided by votes alone? We were in the top 25 at the end of the competition right? I would like to know why we were dropped.

#4 Mind

  • Life Member, Director, Moderator, Treasurer
  • 18,997 posts
  • 2,000
  • Location:Wausau, WI

Posted 09 September 2008 - 09:05 PM

I got the e-mail from AMEX in my mail box...I thought it was decided by votes alone? We were in the top 25 at the end of the competition right? I would like to know why we were dropped.


Would be nice to know for future marketing purposes. Trying hard to look at it from an unbiased perspective, I can't see why the Undergrads got dumped. It seems much more worthy and interesting than many on the current list.

#5 AgeVivo

  • Guest, Engineer
  • 2,110 posts
  • 1,555

Posted 09 September 2008 - 11:10 PM

how come!??Posted Image I was pretty confident ugrad had been selected!Posted Image
we must use it to ask the right questions:

Any one aware of the other 'most nominated' projects that were not selected? It might be good to see what they have in common so that we learn from it. In the unlikely case that we are the only onePosted Image, then...perhaps MF must try to avoid having strong enemies in the future (anyway MF is good in so many things; it is just a good-to-think-of thing). Perhaps they saw "immortality" somewhere and were afraid? then here is a solution

Pff.. ok, i recognize it could have been worse (<200 nominations, or 6th most voted on September 30th). And yes, ok, it was a great occasion to contact old friends and spread the word about aging. Now we need to tell them it didn't work and many will lose hope that fighting-aging is mainstream and trustworthy. I hope it won't hinder MFURI too much. Ugrad was/is really a great project.

Pff.. let's think of what to do now. Perhaps the most important is that we learned that we are a big group? or not such a big group (2000+) but that we can rapidly extend it by spreading the word about voting? but no more "advisors" to choose their own rules. who will trust a new vote otherwise? (cf other project like ours).

Perhaps is our group sufficiently big for the MPrize at home!?! The thing is that having a few mice at home is more engagement than voting, and that there are still quite many things to decide (including the experiments!) before lunching MPrize at home. Out of 4000 or 7000 readers we found 2000+ voters; for MPrize that would be 500 interested, 50 having mice? that's probably too optimistic...?

Any other use of our medium/large group? F@ H of course. Fun but there are so many more direct ways to fight aging... Let's brainstorm and find good ideas, not fake hope again.

#6 JMorgan

  • Guest
  • 645 posts
  • 1
  • Location:Queens, NY

Posted 10 September 2008 - 01:18 AM

Any one aware of the other 'most nominated' projects that were not selected?

I can't find the original thread which had screenshots of the top 25 nominated projects. It might be interesting to see how many others were not picked as well.

Any other use of our medium/large group?

We should definitely check with the Methuselah Foundation for what needs they have while you're still so enthusiastic. ;)

#7 kismet

  • Guest
  • 2,984 posts
  • 424
  • Location:Austria, Vienna

Posted 10 September 2008 - 01:22 AM

This is really surprising as they even had someone apparently involved with life extension on the advisory panel (Dr. Sanjay Gupta).
I don't understand how it can be impossible to find a fullfilling organisation. Wouldn't the mfoundation, the NIA [probably not] or any other org suffice?

Sorry I cannot but assume it was a political thing.

#8 lunarsolarpower

  • Guest
  • 1,323 posts
  • 53
  • Location:BC, Canada

Posted 10 September 2008 - 01:57 AM

My first guess at a possible reason is that biomedical and health related projects made up something like 9 of the top 25 and they may want to have an equal number of projects from each category in the next round.

#9 Ghostrider

  • Guest
  • 1,996 posts
  • 56
  • Location:USA

Posted 10 September 2008 - 03:40 AM

My first guess at a possible reason is that biomedical and health related projects made up something like 9 of the top 25 and they may want to have an equal number of projects from each category in the next round.


I really want to know why we did not make the cut. AMEX at least owes us a reason. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I did go ahead and order a replacement for my AMEX card...it's got 12 months of 0% APR and cash back...PM me if there are other users here who are looking for a new card after the recent events...

#10 kevin

  • Member, Guardian
  • 2,779 posts
  • 822

Posted 10 September 2008 - 02:31 PM

My first guess at a possible reason is that biomedical and health related projects made up something like 9 of the top 25 and they may want to have an equal number of projects from each category in the next round.


I really want to know why we did not make the cut. AMEX at least owes us a reason. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I did go ahead and order a replacement for my AMEX card...it's got 12 months of 0% APR and cash back...PM me if there are other users here who are looking for a new card after the recent events...



Hi Everyone!

Please don't despair at all!

There is really no way to find out why we weren't selected. Suffice to say that this is only a warm-up and the lessons we have learned have been invaluable. That we could join such a competition somewhat late in the game, and really marshal such support and make the impact we did is tremendously encouraging for the future. I am not at all disappointed with our performance and it only serves to inform us we are on the right track.

Of course we are an idea that is still going against the grain of popular opinion in many ways and have the 'pro-aging' trance to contend with where other projects do not have such impediments, so I am not surprised that we were not selected. This truly is a competition for the mindshare of the public; in fact that is what the Methuselah Foundation is all about, changing minds, increasing funding and pushing for public to demand results in the creation of therapies for aging. Everything we do is to lower the barrier to the belief that aging is an approachable challenge.

Obviously our outreach efforts at the MF have always been leveraging the internet to best advantage, which is why we have been able to grow so rapidly. Reaching as many minds as we possibly can with the message of achievable healthy life extension is critical to the success of the Mission and some of the ideas being discussed here are very much worth further detailed attention.

As with the MFURI/UFARD project we want to make sure that we are coordinated (somewhat) and make resources available with any new ideas and we WANT your ideas! We have some fantastic advocates who have worked their <insert anatomy part here> off to help us and we want to ensure that you realize how greatly appreciative we are and that we want to offer further encourage and support. I suggest that we have a combined "ideas" thread and start looking at what types of resources and results we might expect? I really like the Mprize at home suggestion which I had not heard of before.. !

Onwards and Upwards!

Kevin

#11 AgeVivo

  • Guest, Engineer
  • 2,110 posts
  • 1,555

Posted 10 September 2008 - 09:22 PM

1) Why we were not selected: because most heavily-nominated projects were not selected, that's all!!!
(below: top 25 nominated projects on August 28th; in red/pink the ones that have not been selected; current # otherwise)
Posted Image
This is reassuring!!

2)

As with the MFURI/UFARD project we want to make sure that we are coordinated (somewhat) and make resources available with any new ideas and we WANT your ideas! (...) I suggest that we have a combined "ideas" thread and start looking at what types of resources and results we might expect? I really like the Mprize at home suggestion which I had not heard of before.. ! Onwards and Upwards!

Yes for project-brainstorming and yes for Mprize at home! I would even say "yes for projects" not just talking.

So choose how to spend your time: we only have one life, projects against aging are usefull (great for mankind) and interesting and doing them in relation to those internet communities (imminst, MF, other) is humanly fun.

do some work not wait for SENS or the singularity to save your ass


Edited by AgeVivo, 10 September 2008 - 09:44 PM.


#12 forever freedom

  • Guest
  • 2,362 posts
  • 67

Posted 10 September 2008 - 11:27 PM

This sucks. At least there are some interesting projects among the selected 25..

#13 Shannon Vyff

  • Life Member, Director Lead Moderator
  • 3,897 posts
  • 702
  • Location:Boston, MA

Posted 11 September 2008 - 03:56 AM

I'm glad the list was posted of the winners--I had copied it to post her from the email I was sent. They are worthy causes, yes--but we must live longer also so we can help more... I'm sorry that we did not make the cut. Thank you though to all the work that was put into it, there will be more opportunities--and we learned here that we can organize a large amount of support when needed.

#14 Ghostrider

  • Guest
  • 1,996 posts
  • 56
  • Location:USA

Posted 12 September 2008 - 07:47 PM

I do appreciate the efforts of everyone here. I will keep my eyes open for other opportunities to raise money or awareness for SENS / Mprize.

#15 Mixter

  • Guest
  • 788 posts
  • 98
  • Location:Europe

Posted 25 September 2008 - 09:49 AM

There are other opportunities, I feel the the world-changing-projects / charity competiton-
idea for grants is just emerging and gaining steam among larger institutions.
MFoundation is now already investigating at least one alternative from google. ;)

Care has to be taken to select fair competitions and maximize efficiency. Actually, there'd be a
lot of interesting things people like us might propose in such competitions, but I appeal to ImmInst
members to all stand behind MFoundation in future votes, and more than that, helping with
donations and telling your friends and relatives.


MFoundation is simply the largest and best organized project that will help our cause
(and everyone) today. Only thinkable exception might be if the life extension foundation
or people connected to them would propose a similar project.

PS: Further 83 to go: http://www.mfoundati...hreehundredlist

#16 b0gger

  • Guest
  • 167 posts
  • 270
  • Location:Russia, Saint-Peters

Posted 28 September 2008 - 10:03 AM

I'm sure we won't win any of these competitions, because they want a guarantied effect withing couple of years. Failure would be a bad publicity for these companies. However we ought to participate to promote the idea, it's ok to do it even knowing if we won't "make a cut". I've been told here that there is a topic about google's "Project 10^100", but I haven't find it yet. Does someone know where it is?

#17 Johan

  • Guest, F@H
  • 472 posts
  • 9
  • Location:Sweden

Posted 14 October 2008 - 06:54 PM

The winners for the AMEX members' project have been announced:

$1.5 million for 1st place goes to:

Alzheimer's Disease: Early Detection Matters and its fulfilling organization, Alzheimer's Association

$500,000 for 2nd place goes to:

Help 100,000 children thrive in the classroom! and its fulfilling organization, DonorsChoose.org

$300,000 for 3rd place goes to:

Loans That Change Lives and its fulfilling organization, Kiva Microfunds

$100,000 for each of the two remaining finalists goes to:

Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children and its fulfilling organization, International Medical Corps

Feeding 1 Million Children Daily and its fulfilling organization, Akshaya Patra Foundation






1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users