There are SO many incredible sites for those who want to learn more about our natural world or for those who have bright new ideas that they want to share. Here are two contests currently running, both tied to one of my favorite (living) physicists, Max Tegmark.

Dubbed, “Mad Max,” this theoretical MIT physicist has written some of the most accessible and informative layperson books and articles around. His book, “Our Mathematical Universe,” is one of my all time favorites. Max has two Institutes which are currently holding contests. The first one is through his Future of Life Foundation.

Click below for more about this contest which pertains to Artificial Intelligence, or AI:
http://futureoflife.org/grants/large/initial

One of his other endeavors is the Foundational Questions Institute which deals primarily with physics and cosmology. They have fun contests and discuss really mind-blowing concepts. I have actually entered a few of these contests through FQXI (with my kids). We didn’t win, needless to say (we were up against actual physicists and even some who had done TED Talks), but we had great fun nonethless.

Here is the link to a contest currently being held over at FQXI:
http://fqxi.org/grants/large/initial

And last but not least, if you are interested in learning more about our natural world from the MASTERS of their respective fields via online classes which range from beginner’s level (high school equivalency) to Ph.D. level, check out World Science U, founded by another one of my favorite (living) physicists, Brian Greene.

Here is a link to their website:
http://www.worldscienceu.com