If we're talking about engineering problems, it isn't enough money. By modern standards, the R&D problem that John Harrison tackled was low-hanging fruit. Our

If we're talking about engineering problems, it isn't enough money. By modern standards, the R&D problem that John Harrison tackled was low-hanging fruit. Our modern R&D infrastructure, while far from perfect, would not have left such a (relatively) easy and important problem unsolved for so long. These days, lone geniuses of Harrison's calibre have to content themselves with more minor problems like designing the bagless vacuum cleaner. If you really want good things to happen, you need larger teams and larger prizes. At least £10 million. Think "X-prize". I'd like to be wrong about this. Can anyone show me that I've missed something important?