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High Schooler Is Awarded $100,000 For Research

Posted by Zonk on from the never-too-early-to-be-a-girl-genius dept.

wired_LAIN writes "A teenager from Oklahoma was awarded $100,000 in the Intel Science Talent Search competition for building an inexpensive and accurate spectrograph that can identify the specific characteristics of different kinds of molecules. While normal spectrographs can cost between $20,000 and $100,000 to build, her spectrograph cost less than $500. The 40 finalists' projects were judged by a panel of 12 scientists, all well established in their respective fields. Among the judges were Vera Rubin, who proved Dark Matter, and Andrew Yeager, one of the pioneers of stem cell research."

14 of 287 comments (clear)

  1. Not bad by L.+VeGas · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's okay, I guess. Personally, I really liked the totally rad volcano that used baking soda and vinegar to actually erupt!

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    Best Windows Freeware
  2. Dollar dollars by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 5, Funny

    The summary is incorrect. The actual cost, as stated in the article, is less than $1000, which is a bit more than $500.
    Actually, the summery said, "her spectrograph cost less than $500 dollars". Have you any idea how much a 500-dollar dollar is worth? Her spectrograph costs less than at least two of them!
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    Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
    1. Re:Dollar dollars by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 3, Funny
      I wrote:

      summery
      Aw crap.
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      Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
    2. Re:Dollar dollars by interiot · · Score: 2, Funny

      You aren't familiar with 500-dollar dollars? You get them from an ATM machine by punching in your PIN number. Just make sure the machine is plugged into AC current, or it won't work.

  3. The $$60 billion Man by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    That means that if we can catch Vash the Stampede, we can manufacture 120 million spectrographs!

  4. Whatever... by Udigs · · Score: 2, Funny

    Gee, I built a mass spectromoter at my High School science fair 12 years ago. My family didn't have 500 bucks to blow on a science fair project so I had to do it for under $50 and whatever handouts I could get for free from local college professors. Funny, all I got was first place at the county science fair. Though, 100,000 bucks would have been much nicer, and actually paid for the second year of the ivy league school I had to drop out of because I couldn't afford it.

    1. Re:Whatever... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      waaah. I built a proton synchrotron in my basement when I was in first grade but my Mom broke it when she was doing laundry, now I have to work at Taco Bell!

    2. Re:Whatever... by LordPhantom · · Score: 3, Funny

      You, sir, have a bright future as a mid-level DC Comics villain! Congrats!

  5. Re:This nation... by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can practically hear the shipping containers being filled in Beijing with $199 combination laser pointer/spectrographs as we speak!

    I have to remember to pick one up at Costco when we go next week.

  6. Re:Other winners by CommandNotFound · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...Anyone know if there's a "Loop Homology and Hochschild Cohomology for Dummies" out yet?

    Holy cow, these kids are off the charts! And I was impressed with the GW-BASIC database I wrote in high school. It looks like something Homer Simpson built compared to that...

  7. I thought it said "Spirograph" by cheeto · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... and thought to myself, "$500 would build you one hell of a Spirograph, but your older brother is still just going to throw the gears at you like a ninja star."

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    - "Sweet merciful crap!" Homer J. Simpson
  8. Re:This nation... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    Well it's apparent there's a growing educational gap in America. Some kids are designing spectrographs, and others don't even know basic geography!

    PS: Beijing is landlocked.

  9. Re:This nation... by Seq · · Score: 2, Funny

    I have to remember to pick one up at Costco when we go next week.

    What are you going to do with a dozen spectrographs?

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    -- Seq
  10. Re:This nation... by Ced_Ex · · Score: 3, Funny

    Beijing is landlocked? What's that suppose to mean? Just because I ship with UPS, doesn't mean they sail up to my door to pick up my package.

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