Young Scientists

There's this 15 year old kid who invented a cheap and effective way to detect pancreatic cancer who recently won the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Really awesome stuff for a high school freshman.

photo taken from this site

Question is, where was I at 15??? Why couldn't I come up with a science project that could change the world? (hahaha)

I went to a (public) science high school and yes, we had to come up with investigatory projects for the annual science fairs, too. I remember going through the motions, swabbing bacteria samples, testing the anti-bacterial properties of some seaweed and not really feeling the gravity of what I was doing. It was a requirement we simply had to complete. Wish we had more encouragement back then.

If anything, I really wish our educational system put as much effort in promoting sciences and not just the arts. We need good science programs, not just schools passing off as "science high schools" and not having the proper equipment and the facilities to support our advanced science classes.

Anyway, I'm not saying that my life would be any different had we had the proper program and facilities. But it could have. Maybe I'd be a forensic scientist by now(one of the many things I wanted to be, growing up), investigating murders everyday. And maybe there would have been less kids confused about what they wanted to do and who would eventually end up taking nursing (as was the popular course for the undecided during my time) instead. I have nothing against nursing, I just feel that a lot were pressured into taking it because it was popular, but without any real desire of actually being a nurse.

Going back to this genius kid... How could hundreds of older, more experienced scientists not have figured out what a 15 year old could figure out? I guess there's really a lot that a young, simplified mind can figure out. Must really start them young, I suppose. Out of coincidence, I found a very apt bible verse in my email a few days back. “For although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” – Matthew 11:25

Here's to young scientists:)