Reviving a venerable tradition from the Enlightenment era, The Hinternet is launching an essay prize contest. The inaugural competition asks: “How might current and emerging technologies best be mobilized to secure perpetual peace?” The winner will receive $10,000 USD. The contest invites bold, independent, and engaging ideas from specialists and non-specialists alike. While acknowledging the historical connection between technological progress and warfare, the contest seeks proposals that explore how such advancements might instead contribute to lasting peace without excessive compromises to human freedom. Submissions are due by September 1, 2025, with the winner announced in October. Essays may be anywhere between 2,000 and 10,000 words. You must remove all identifying information from the essay document itself (within reason), to facilitate blind judging. Please see full submission guidelines below. The judges for this year’s Essay Prize Contest are: Mira Kamdar — acclaimed author and analyst whose widely translated work examines the intersections of identity, culture, and global politics. A former member of The New York Times editorial board, she draws on a background in philosophy and decades of international reporting and commentary. Jason Kehe — senior editor and culture critic at WIRED Magazine, with a particular focus on science-fiction and the philosophy of technology. Lawrence Weschler — former director of the NYU Institute for the Humanities and celebrated author of creative nonfiction, whose work spans political reportage and cultural biography. A longtime staff writer at The New Yorker, he is the author of acclaimed books including Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder, Everything That Rises, and A Miracle, A Universe. Please contact editor@the-hinternet.com for more information.