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'Science Fair' shows the challenges teens face in Intel's competition
Intel's science fairs are pressure cookers: imagine pitting some of the world's brightest students against each other while they're already grappling with teenage anxiety. And now, there's a documentary that illustrates just how rough it can be. Muck Media has released the first trailer for Science Fair, a doc that follows nine high schoolers as they strive for glory at Intel's International Science and Engineering Fair. The students aren't just worrying about their technical accomplishments, although those are notable by themselves (such as calculator that generates Shakespearean insults) -- they also have to deal with their confidence, socio-economic hardships, rivalries and raging hormones.
Google's fifth Science Fair rewards teens for saving the environment
Google's Science Fair competition regularly leads to clever inventions from teens, and this year's event (the fifth ever) is giving junior pioneers an extra incentive to strive for a prize. On top of familiar rewards, including $100,000 in scholarships and trips to the Galapagos or Virgin Galactic's spaceport, there's a Community Impact Award that honors efforts tackling environmental or health issues -- kids who clean up the planet or save a life may get special recognition. Teachers will also get their due through a new Inspiring Educator award. Young creators have until May 18th to submit their finished projects to Google, and you'll hear about the winners at a finalist event starting on September 19th.
Google's Science Fair finalists want to find quasars and wake you with smells
Want to be inspired by the next generation's ingenuity, while simultaneously feeling like you've underachieved? Here are the global finalists for Google's Science Fair 2014! As with previous years, the entries are high-minded and often brilliant, as the young teams try to solve problems like cyberbullying, food scarcity and just waking up. The students, aged 13 to 18 years, come from across the world: For instance, Russia's Anastasia Korovyanskaya (aged 17-18) came up with an ultrasonic burner, while Pranav Sivakumar (US) in the 13- to 14-year-old category has proposed a method for spotting gravitationally lensed quasars. Judged by a panel of academic and industry leaders, competitors are vying for prestigious awards including a $50,000 scholarship from Google, a National Geographic expedition and a behind-the-scenes visit of Virgin's Galactic Spaceport. The winners will be announced on September 22nd, but meanwhile take a closer look at the finalists right here.
Exploring the best of the best at this year's White House Science Fair
The annual White House Science Fair is, above all else, an amazing public relations play. President Barack Obama hangs out with a few dozen of America's brightest students who show off their latest work and get celebrated for it. Everyone wins, right? In this instance, yes: everyone wins. Regardless of the good publicity, the annual White House gathering -- now in its fourth year -- is one of the few events we attend that's completely genuine. It's hard to keep up a facade of bullshit when brilliant, driven, passionate kids are literally surrounding you with their accomplishments.
Google Science Fair 2013 kicks off, uses Hangouts to help inventive teens (video)
The Google Science Fair began in 2011 as a way to spur a love of science among teens and, just possibly, spark a few breakthroughs for science as a whole. It's back for a third year, and there's big improvements to both the competition's technology and rewards. The 2013 Fair will have Google+ Hangouts on Air for help and motivation, as well as to introduce us to the 15 finalists during the vote for a public-chosen award in August. The early talks will include Segway pioneer Dean Kamen and sea explorer Fabien Cousteau, among others. Finalists once again get prizes from Google itself, Lego, National Geographic and Scientific American, but there's extra bonuses this year for the grand prize winner: along with the $50,000 scholarship, Galapagos Islands trip and other individual gifts, the winner's school will get both $10,000 and a Hangout session with CERN. Young inventors have until the end of April 30th to submit their projects, and we'll learn about the very cream of the crop on September 23rd.
Google Science Fair winners announced: grilled chicken, ovarian cancer, asthma take center stage
Google's first-ever science fair came to a close yesterday, as 15 finalists, ranging in age from 13 to 18, showed off their smarts at Google HQ. Top honors went to three young ladies -- score one for the girls -- in three separate age groups, but there could only be one Highlander Grand Prize winner. The big win went to Shree Bose for an experiment which focused on improving treatment of ovarian cancer, following accumulated resistance to chemotherapy drugs. Lauren Hodge and Naomi Shah also took home trophies for their experiments which dealt with carcinogens in grilled chicken and reducing reliance on asthma treatment, respectively. Along with trophies built of Legos, these young brainiacs took home prizes that included lifetime subscriptions to Scientific American and big-money scholarships ranging from $25,000 to $50,000. A very long video documenting the award ceremony can be found -- featuring a shocking lack of baking soda volcanoes -- after the break.
Google Science Fair 2011 boasts big names, big prizes (video)
Dust off the baking soda and bust out the vinegar, because Google's throwing a science fair. That's right, the internet giant is taking the time-honored tradition of hastily constructed teenage science experiments online. Entrants must be between 13 and 18 years old and submit their projects (in English) via Google Sites by April 4th. Once the projects are in, a panel of real-life teachers will select 60 semi-finalists. From there, the pool will be narrowed down to a group of 15, who will attend an in-the-flesh fair at Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA, this July. The big event's judges include CERN's Rolf-Dieter Heuer, Google's Vint Cerf, and Nobel Laureate Kary Mullis. Grand prize winners in three age groups will receive a $50,000 scholarship, a trip to the Galapagos islands, and some stuff from LEGO and Scientific American. On second thought, maybe the baking soda volcano isn't such a great idea. (Rube Goldberg-inspired promo video after the jump.)
Death Jr. and the preorder stylus of doom
Of all the preorder stylus bonuses we've seen, Death Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom's is easily the best. Konami has been encouraging gamers to reserve its 3D platformer with promises of a miniaturized scythe that doubles as a stylus. The preorder perk also comes with a plastic holder that clips the oversized pen to you DS Lite. Though it makes for a great novelty item to enjoy with your game, the scythe also serves as a grim reminder that death is always close. Try as we might to avoid it, our end is always waiting, ready to steal our life's work -- or waste in some cases -- like a thief in the night. It doesn't seem like much of a bonus when you think about it like that, does it?Death Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom won't appear on store shelves until May 22nd, but some online shops are already sending the preorder styli out. Head past the post break for CAG forumer Asgardian's photos of the Death Jr. stylus he received early. [Via CAG]
