The winner of the New Scientist contest will be blasted into space 100 kilometres (60 miles) above Earth, from where they will be afforded stunning views of the planet and experience weightlessness.

The prize is the latest off-the-wall opportunity from the magazine, which previously gave readers the chance to have their bodies cryogenically frozen after they died.

"We delight in trying to find unusual prizes for people," said editor Jeremy Webb.

"There will be some strong contenders -- both familiar and obscure -- for the accolade of best-ever patent.

"The first contender has got to be the telephone...next is the humble electric light bulb."

The person who scoops the prize will have to undergo four days of training before they go into space for the one-and-a-half-hour round trip.

Potential contenders should go to www.winatriptospace.co.uk and be prepared to outline what they think is the best-ever invention in just 250 words.

The competition closes on April 30 and the winner will be announced on May 31.

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