On January 30th, Google invited students from all over the globe to share ideas that could change the world or revolutionize any number of industries. Google (News - Alert) takes its inspiration for calling young people to participate in the scientific process from Ada Lovelace, daughter of famous poet Lord Byron. Lovelace was only a teenager in the early 19th century when she became fascinated by math and wrote what is considered today to be the first computer program.
Sam Peter of Google's science fair team explained that they specifically target teenagers for the Google science fair because, “Many great scientists developed their curiosity for science at an early age and went on to make groundbreaking discoveries that changed the way we live.”
According to sources, entrants submit projects in any of these categories:
- Physics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Food Science
- Electricity & Electronics
- Computer Science & Math
- Earth & Environmental Sciences
- Behavioral & Social Sciences
- Flora & Fauna
- Energy & Space
- Inventions & Innovation
Some other famous examples of teenage scientists include Louis Braille, who invented an alphabet for blind people when he was only 16, and Alexander Graham Bell (the inventor of the telephone) who began experimenting with sound as a teen.
For the third annual Google Science Fair, Google has partnered with CERN and Lego. Students aged 13 to 18 are welcome to participate and compete for the top prizes of a $50,000 scholarship and a trip to the Galapagos with National Geographic Expeditions. Last year's grand prize winner, 17 year-old Brittany Wenger, built a cloud-based tool to help doctors accurately diagnose breast cancer. Another top participate from the 2012 fair invented a device that converts sound into touch.
This year's deadline for submissions is April 30th. Finalists will travel to Google's main campus in Mountain View, California for the competition. Winners will be announced on September 23rd, 2013 and full details are available online at googlesciencefair.com.
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Edited by Brooke Neuman