When I was in high school and competing at science fairs and the like, I often heard people criticizing them and saying that they were a waste of time. Even though I only managed to come up with a plant experiment that proved that flowers prefer classical music as opposed to metal, and a model of the planets, made from Styrofoam and bent wire hangers, they were always a ton of fun.
Not only are science fairs and other competitions fun, they serve a larger purpose by inspiring kids to think about science in an applied way. They have the chance to take their knowledge and make something with it. In the case of a 15-year-old boy, who competed in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, he came up with something so impressive that it can only be called a scientific breakthrough.
For his entry into the fair, Jack Andraka, a Maryland high school student, developed a paper sensor that detects pancreatic cancer 168 times faster than current tests. If that isn't amazing enough, the test is also 90% accurate. Compared to the testing procedures in use currently, this test is 400 times more sensitive and 26,000 times less expensive.
After his friend's brother was killed by the disease, he became interested in how to make early detection easier. After doing research on the matter, he came up with a dip-stick sensor that tests urine or blood for proteins that signal the presence of the cancer. The paper strip test changes conductivity based on how much of the protein is found. According to the teen, the test is so sensitive that it can detect the cancer before it is invasive enough for a patent to even have symptoms.
For winning the fair, Andraka was awarded $75,000 in prize money, which will go toward his college education. Currently, his plan is to study to become a pathologist. As for the rest of his college tuition, he might not have worry about that either. He plans on starting clinical trials with his sensor and has an meeting planned with Quest Diagnostics to discuss how to get the product on the market within the next 10 years.
It's amazing and I wish I had been that smart and that motivated when I was in high school.
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