It's about five to nine, and it's official--I've beat the future to the Wired NextFest. For all of the glorious and wonderful spectacles the future is constantly promising: rocket packs, robo gladiator fights, truly extreme energy drinks... The bastard sure takes a long time to get here. The press room is relatively silent for now; all I can hear is the sound of pink donuts being consumed and video camera batteries being charged.

I'm going on about two hours of sleep, at the moment--I was at the filming of a TV pilot last night. Funny story. I know some people who know people who are kind of a big deal.

In a couple of minutes, the floor will open up to an estimated 9,000 4th-to-12th graders. Because that's exactly what we all need right now. At ten, the officially official opening ceremony kicks off, with Wired's editor-in-chief, Chris Anderson; publisher, Drew Schutte, and from the looks of it, a bunch of guys in shogun outfits.

In the meantime, I can see a space capsule and a lot of glowing things on the floor below. They beckon me. When I return to you, I will have seen the future.

After the jump: Direct dispatches from the opening ceremony and the 2007 X-Prize competition.

After a quick jaunt around the show floor, I'm back outside, sitting in front of the LA Convention Center--no protection from the hot southern Californian sun. I'm not sure how long my pale east-coast skin can handle the exposure, but I am determined to stay out here as long as my body will hold up. The future of technology may very well depend on it.

The place is already jam-packed with grammar school kids, chanting some unintelligible slogan in unison, complete with matching shirts. That 9,000 number now seems like someone was lowballing it, as at least 8,999 of them are standing around me, waving multicolored balloon animals, dreaming of the flying cars that await them inside.

The soundtrack is a house beat played on loop, and men in quasi samurai outfits are swarming the stage, as men in various stages of business suit shuffle to find a seat and e-mail secretaries from their collective Treo.

The opening ceremonies are beginning.

Chris Anderson is taking the stage--but first, a samurai robot. Excellent. The samurai robot is speaking, introducing Anderson.

Anderson: Thank you, my samurai friend. He got a bump on his head, on his trip from Japan. You'll see him walking around later, as samurai robots must.

Every month, we show you how technology comes to life. This is our opportunity to bring the scientists to you. Inside, you'll find 150 different technologies, from 60 countries. [He introduces Drew Schutte.]

Schutte: Are you excited to see the future today? These are innovations I only dreamed of, as a kid. There are ten pavilions of the future inside: robots, virtual reality, communication, design, energy, et al. All of this was not possible without Hitachi. They make technologies vastly beyond consumer electronics. They have technology that's advancing cancer research. They help water get down to LA from the North.

Gives me great pleasure to introduce Tadahiko Ishigaki, chief executive or North America Hitachi.

Ishigaki: A vision of where technology is going to take us, tomorrow. Firmly believe innovation is going to inspire the next generation, you all. Extra proud to see so many young people here, being inspired by NextFest.

Anderson: You are the scientists of the future. I'm very happy to be here. So many of these technologies of the future were created here in LA. [Introduces mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.]

Villaraigosa: Wow! Good morning humans and robots, and welcome to the future. I am the mayor of the capitol city of the future. Let's give them a big hand! Thank you for bringing this wonderful convention to Los Angeles. This is an event that is in many ways a window into the future. We get to see all of these future technologies.You know, there was a day when there weren't any cell phones. Now they have video cameras. How many of you have an an iPod? Everybody. Just a few years ago there weren't any iPods. Technology is an opportunity to go into space, cure diseases, and change the world. We have an astronaut here today. We're going to see here in just a few minutes. Technology can take us to the stars. This event says tech isn't just an iPod or cell phone--it's about education. How many can use a computer? That's great. People in the generation before couldn't use a computer, and you can. That's the key.

That's what NextFest is all about. An opportunity to connect the present with the future and reach for the stars.

Drew is in the audience. I understood that you had a proclamation to deliver, and I'm looking for it.

I swear to god, someone just came in on a rocketpack. Pics to follow...

The mayor is talking to a guy who rode in on a rocketpack. The future is awesome.

Villaraigosa: only in Los Angeles. When I was a kid, you saw that Jetpack on the Jetsons. Now it exists. On behalf of LA, I want to acknowledge Wired and the Future of Education and Innovation Day, in the city of Los Angeles.

A plaque is presented. The kids don't care. A freaking guy flew in on a jetpack.

Anderson: Today is education day. We wanted you to see this for free. [Thanking sponsors. The kids will not quiet down. Introduces Sandra Evers-Manly from the Drummond foundation].

Manly: When we talk about innovation, we talk about you. You can achieve it, if you believe it. You will help the technology come true. We are truly honored to bring this to you. We're happy to sponsor this. [Introduces Shanna Dale Deputy admin NASA.]

Dale: honored to be here with the NASA crew. Because of their efforts, the space station is more than 60% complete. I want to express my appreciation to the people whose hard work makes this possible. Applause for the crew of the Shuttle. I would like to turn this over to the commander, Scott Kelly.

Kelly: Nextfest and the space station are examples of where we're going. We have three people on the space station, building the space station with 16 other countries. Ironically [not technically, no] the same number of countries participating here today. The kids in the audience are going to play a role in the future, going to the moon, mars, and beyond. I'm excited for you. [Introduces crew of SDS 118.] "I Have a Dream Speech is being played. Astronauts are on the stage.

Anderson: Please join me inside. The Xprize is going to give away a prize for a challenge on a scale of which you've never seen...

The 2007 X-Prize Competition

Ladies and gentleman, the 2007 X-Prize competition is about to begin. Video montage about space exploration, bad techno. I guess that means it's beginning.

Chris Anderson is taking the stage.

Good morning and welcome to NextFest!

We are thrilled to be part of this announcement. You don't need to be convinced that tech can change the world, but X-Prize has pioneered a model to get amateurs in involved. We're entering in a partenship with X-Prize. We'll be creating a site for them. [Introduces Bob Weiss, the vice chairman of X-Prize.]

Weiss: this is a milestone event for X-Prize. It was inspired by Lindberg's flight across the Atlantic. In 1996, we introduced the first X-Prize, to change how the public thought about space exploration.

It took eight years, and then we changed the foundation to spark revolution through competition in a wide spectrum of fields. We introduced the genome prize and will be introducing an automotive prize to help break our dependence on oil. In the 60s, Moon 1.0 was a competition between superpowers, with the moon as the finish line.

Race montage plays. Model of the Space Rover is unveiled. Weiss explains the end of the Apollo program. A video begins about the privately funded team getting people back on the moon.

The X-Prize foundation has joined forces with Google. 30 million dollars prize money will be awarded to the first two teams to land a manned spacecraft on the moon.

Until recently, space was off limits to the public, but in 2004, it was proved that a reusable spacecraft could do it cheaper than any government run ship.

In 1972, Moon 1.0 was abandoned. Earth's off shore island, the moon, can become our greatest asset. The Google X-Prize is designed to kickstart Moon 2.0.

Lunar soil is silicon, the key ingredient in solar cells.In the future, it can be mined to build solar powered satellites, each one capable of powering a large city.

Extra prizes for those who find ice in craters. Ice could be broken down into hydrogen and oxygen, elements vital to lunar habitation and producing rocket fuel.

Added prize for team that can survive the equivalent of two weeks of lunar nights

Finally, to connect with space heritage, there's a bonus for first team to find artifacts of previous moon explorations.

Taking us back to the moon, and this time, we're planning to stay.

Weiss: The prize is about transforming how people think of the moon. [Introduces Peter Diamandis, the founder.]

Peter: Today we're challenging private orgs. to design crafts and race them to the moon. Since the dawn of the space age, only two nations have gone to the moon. No one has been there in 20 years. ( 30 years.) 50 years ago, Sputnik launched.

Thanks to Larry Page and Sergei Brin for making this possible. Sergei couldn't be here, but he wanted to share some words.

Sergei video: Google is a big believer in entrepreneurial spirit. It's very hard to create the right sorts of incentives. We're optimistic that we'll have a lunar landing, by the time this is done. I'm very excited that Google can play a part in it.

[Weiss introduces Larry Page]

Peter has been working on this longer than I've been alive. Now you know we were serious when we introduced Google moon, a few years ago.

They just introduced a new hi-res version of it. I've been involved with the X-Prize for a long time. It was exciting to see the organizations work together.

Science has a serious marketing problem, and i think this is the antidote. How many of the young people would like to go to the moon?

Yeah, that's why we're doing this. [Larrry is finished speaking.]

Peter: Thank you to the Google team. The $30 million prize is the largest we've ever launched. The $20 is first prize for the first team to soft land and send mooncast. The second prize is five million for the second team. [Back to Weiss.]

Nearly forty years ago, the first two human walked on the moon. [Introduces Buzz Aldrin.] The Apollo astronauts signed a plaque that will be affixed to the rovers.

Aldrin: I'm very honored to join with Wired, Google, and X-Prize. I came back from Korea to be here today. Let me read from plaque:

We congratulate the winner of the prize. May this plaque placed on the moon and serve as a beacon to future explorers. In peace and with hope, for all mankind.

Weiss: On behalf of the foundation, thanks to you and other astronauts who are making the leap to Moon 1.0.[Introduces Elon Musk, CEO of Space Ex.]

Musk: Bring entrepreneurship into lunar exploration. Incredible inspiring to future generations. I meet so many people inspired by original moon landings. That's why they got into science. We're partnering with teams, and forgoing profit to help them get to the surface of the moon. That's our small contribution.

Weiss introduces Shana Dale.

Dale: i want to extend congrats to Google and the foundation on collaboration. There are many specific objectives to be completed on the moon. Here on earth, there's an objective to inspire kids.

As we at NASA know, going to the moon requires incredible effort. We are working to send the first humans to Mars and beyond. The people who make it happen will not all be at NASA.

We've committed to inspiring people in the private sector. We are cooperating with Google and X-Prize. I applaud the spirit of competition. We will see you on the moon.

Weiss introduces James Cameron.

Cameron: We're going back, thanks to private enterprise. We'll pick off where Apollo 17 left off. We're going forward now, with an achievable short term plan.

Peter: In April 1972, Duke left a photo of his family on the moon. Now it's you're turn. We invite you to leave a photo to be carried by the winning team. A literal countdown to the launch of the prize.

[A spinning model of the moon is unveiled.]

Peter: Ladies and gentlemen, the clock has started! Let the race begin.

Check out my interview with Google founder Larry Page, here.

For a slideshow and news story on NextFest, click here.