Never underestimate human beings. Every time it seems that homo sapiens have reached an impassable roadblock, we find a way around. Take for instance Canadian inventors Todd Reichert and Cameron Robertson. Together the duo recently pocketed a cool quarter of a million bucks for building a human-powered helicopter.

The cash was their reward for winning the Sikorsky prize, one of the most sought after goals in the aviation world. Established in 1980, it challenged inventors to build a muscle-driven helicopter that could arise about 10 feet (3 meters) in the air and stay aloft for 60 seconds. Dozens of well-financed teams tried over the years to accomplish the feat. Yet their efforts ended in failure. These dismal results led many researchers to conclude that no one would ever win. For example, aeronautical engineer Antonio Filippone published a paper in a 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Helicopter Society that said the feat was impossible.