If you look up this weekend and see a red balloon, the 80s are not coming back. DARPA is staging a social experiment to celebrate the anniversary of the internet and offering $40K to boot. Facebook groups and Twitter accounts have sprung up, as about 1,500 teams organize their efforts. (Expected 2,000 by the launch on Sat)
DARPA will launch ten balloons across the country on Saturday December 5. Teams will have until the 14th to find all the balloons. DARPA has spread the distribution so no one person can find every balloon. They plan on interviewing the participants after the contest to see what works and what doesn’t as well as the effectiveness of social communication.