Indian girl makes it to the global finals of the Google Science Fair 2013

lovebox

lovebox

@lovebox-ZyXFqj • Oct 25, 2024
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Shrishti Asthana, a class XI student from Chandigarh, Punjab has made it to the finals of the Google Science Fair 2013. Her project titled “Solar Light Assisted nanoZnO Photo Catalytic Mineralization – The Green Technique for the Degradation of Detergents” has been selected from among several hundred participants from about 120 countries. She is the only participant from India to be selected for the finals.

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Shrishti’s inspiration for the project came during a school field trip. She visited one of the many textile factories situated in Ludhiana, Punjab, and was disturbed to see the ecological damage caused by the industrial effluents. This caused Shrishti to ponder over whether there was a rapid and cost-effective method to degrade the detergents in the waste water discharged from industrial and domestic sources.

She went on to learn about advanced oxidation processes used to degrade pollutants and then decided to use nanoZnO for the solar assisted photo catalytic degradation of a representative detergent Cetyl Pyridinium Chloride. Preliminary findings of her work are encouraging and if successfully implemented, it could result in the devising of a low-cost method for the degradation of contaminants in water.


Shrishti’s project has already won the silver medal at IRIS Science Fair 2012, jointly organised by Intel, C.I.I. and Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India at New Delhi, in Dec., 2012.

To learn more about Shrishti’s project follow the link:
#-Link-Snipped-#

Shrishti will present her project alongside 14 other finalists to an international panel of distinguished scientists on September 23, 2013 at Googleplex (the headquarters of Google at Mountain View, California, USA). The grand prize winner will be awarded a scholarship of $ 50,000 and a 10-day trip to the Galapagos Islands with National Geographic Expeditions.

While the International panel of scientists decides who the grand prize winner should be, the general public across the globe can also select its own winner by voting in the Inspired Idea Award, included in the competition this year. The voting process opens on August 01, 2013.

To know more about how to vote for the project that you think has the greatest impact to change the world, follow the link:
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The other 14 finalists and the projects they are going to present are:​

  1. Elif Bilgin, aged 16, from Turkey: Elif has developed a process to use banana peels to make bio-plastics, instead of relying on traditional petroleum.
  2. Kavita Selva, aged 13, from USA: Kavita’s project explores the possibility of using superconductor tapes as a solution to the global crisis of rare-earth metals, particularly in the production of stronger permanent magnets to be used in electric motors.
  3. Eric Chen, aged 17, from USA: Eric has combined computer modeling and biological studies to discover innovative enzyme inhibitors that can be used to design new anti-flu drugs which will help contain the pandemic caused by lethal Influenza viruses like H5N1 and H7N9.
  4. Vinay Iyengar, aged 17, from USA: Vinay’s project is dedicated to making our communications more secure. He has presented a significantly improved algorithm for characteristic 3 Galois Field Operations for implementing Elliptic Curve Cryptography, which can make encryption more robust and efficient.
  5. Yi Xi Kang, Kwok Ling Yi, and Tricia Lim, all aged 16, from Singapore: This team of three girls studied how sex hormones like estrogen and progesterone help protect and heal inflamed liver cells.
  6. Elizabeth Zhao, aged 17, from USA: Elizabeth has designed algorithms for image processing and machine learning which could help in the early diagnosis of skin cancer.
  7. Venkat Sankar, aged 13, from USA: Venkat’s project titled “Ecology or Economy: Managing the Impact of Infrastructure Projects on Endangered Species”, examines how large scale infrastructure projects adversely affect the delicate ecological balance. He uses computer simulation and a real world case study to prove his point.
  8. Tina Kabir and Liza Sosnova, aged 13 and 14 respectively, from Russia: These two girls from Russia have built LiTin Universal Hydrostatic Densmeter, an instrument that is simple-to-devise and easy-to-use and can measure the body mass, as well as density of liquids, granular material and solid objects.
  9. Viney Kumar, aged 15, from Australia: Viney has developed a program named PART (Police and Ambulances Regulating Traffic) which alerts you in case an ERV (Emergency Response Vehicle) is heading your way. This results in lesser number of vehicles obstructing the path of the ERV, effectively helping the ERV to reach its destination faster.
  10. Valerie Ding, aged 16, from USA: Valerie has designed a computer algorithm to optimize the Quantum Dot Solar Cell technology, which can theoretically be twice as efficient as the solar cell technology available at present.
  11. Charalampos Ioannou, aged 18, from Greece: Charalampos has designed an exoskeleton glove that enhances and supports the movement of the human palm. Sensors in the glove work with the person's hand to amplify the movements, thus helping people with upper hand disabilities.
  12. Alex Spiride, aged 13, from USA: Alex is inspired by the locomotion techniques of sea-creatures, particularly squid. He has designed Squid-jet, a bio-inspired underwater vehicle that uses water-jet propulsion. This technique enhances the efficiency of underwater vehicles like submarines.
  13. Ann Makosinski, aged 16, from Canada: Ann designed a flashlight that runs entirely on body heat.
  14. Esha Maiti, aged 17, from USA: Esha has developed a computer simulation code (based on Stochastic Monte Carlo method) to better understand how cancers spread. It will help doctors decide on the appropriate treatment options.
Source : #-Link-Snipped-#



P.S. : It is striking that a large number of students who made it to the finals of the Google Science Fair 2013 are of Indian origin but living in other countries. They are blossoming very well out there. But what is it that hinders their progress here in India?
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Please post your views and valuable comments below.​
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  • Harshad Italiya

    Harshad Italiya

    @harshad-ukH5ww • Jul 3, 2013

    She make India proud. I have just gone through the ideas they have submitted and they are amazing.

    Indian Engineering students looking for ready-made projects, you must have to learn something from these guys.

    All the best Shrishti Asthana 👍
  • Ashraf HZ

    Ashraf HZ

    @Ash • Jul 3, 2013

    Its a relief to know there are still smart kids out there contributing to science and engineering.
  • Kaustubh Katdare

    Kaustubh Katdare

    @thebigk • Jul 3, 2013

    I remember when I was 15, I was basically dissembling my R/C cars. 😏 and trying to make an R/C plane. Could never make a progress with it.
  • [Prototype]

    [Prototype]

    @prototype-G9Gn5k • Jul 10, 2013

    I am sorry. No offense and not underestimating or something but it reminds me when I was in 2nd standard. We used to get projects like windmills, solar cooker made from Styrofoam, decorative pots etc and guess what? I never made those. Neither did anyone else. Everyone's moms were put to work because we were barely able to handle those stuffs. All we knew about a solar cooker was that it is used to cook food using sun light. How? Who the hell cared that time.

    I mean come on, the hell with "Solar Light Assisted nanoZnO Photo Catalytic Mineralization – The Green Technique for the Degradation of Detergents". I am not even able to understand what that exactly means after completing my Engineering in INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM. XIth class girl, same education system, I am not able to digest it... Looks like, someone tried to forcibly get India's name into the picture to show our presence. Good intention, incorrect way.

    I may be wrong on my perspective and I am sorry in advance if it offends someone. But that's just what I think.
  • Ashraf HZ

    Ashraf HZ

    @Ash • Jul 10, 2013

    [Prototype]
    I mean come on, the hell with "Solar Light Assisted nanoZnO Photo Catalytic Mineralization – The Green Technique for the Degradation of Detergents". I am not even able to understand what that exactly means after completing my Engineering in INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM. XIth class girl, same education system, I am not able to digest it... Looks like, someone tried to forcibly get India's name into the picture to show our presence. Good intention, incorrect way.
    Come on bro, where is your Crazy Engineers spirit!! 😛

    If she has the drive and inquisitiveness to solve an issue, it warrants an encouragement (as well as serving for an inspiration for other youths). Yes, perhaps the projects look sophisticated, but its actually a good thing that young people are aware of issues and actively seek a way to resolve it. Who knows, maybe in the future they can further develop their ideas? Brittany Wenger managed it with her neural network project.

    Why do you feel this is an incorrect way?
  • [Prototype]

    [Prototype]

    @prototype-G9Gn5k • Jul 10, 2013

    ash
    Come on bro, where is your Crazy Engineers spirit!! 😛

    If she has the drive and inquisitiveness to solve an issue, it warrants an encouragement (as well as serving for an inspiration for other youths). Yes, perhaps the projects look sophisticated, but its actually a good thing that young people are aware of issues and actively seek a way to resolve it. Who knows, maybe in the future they can further develop their ideas? Brittany Wenger managed it with her neural network project.

    Why do you feel this is an incorrect way?
    Not at all declining the fact and surely appreciate if she indeed came up with it.

    Inspiration sure helps, but just because I am inspired by Michael Paget, I cannot become master guitarist in 2 hours. It'll take time and eventually my knowledge & skills will increase. How can you become such skilled and knowledgeable to make it just like that when you never went into technicalities of anything?

    Things are different if they would claim that girl has suggested ( got idea) and later big guys managed to achieve it based on the idea. But the way its presented, it says that she did it. Suggesting and doing are two different things. Also check the acknowledgement page. Those references, are you sure an XIth std student have read and understood all those?

    By incorrect way, I meant to say, its probably done by some bigger guy and made this girl go out in front to represent India. Representing India is good, but that way its not. More of a cheating with other deserving who might have just managed to spin a motor, but on their own. I am just unable to digest the fact. That's all...😖

    However, I am not denying the fact that there's no chance she could've done it. If she did it on her own, I am very happy. Hope she stays in India and boon the country with innovations. We really lack in this part.
  • lovebox

    lovebox

    @lovebox-ZyXFqj • Jul 12, 2013

    [Prototype]
    ...I mean come on, the hell with "Solar Light Assisted nanoZnO Photo Catalytic Mineralization – The Green Technique for the Degradation of Detergents". I am not even able to understand what that exactly means after completing my Engineering...


    #-Link-Snipped-# - Well, research project titles are always quite mundane to look at, aren't they pal?

    [Prototype]
    ...How can you become such skilled and knowledgeable to make it just like that when you never went into technicalities of anything?
    [Prototype]
    Things are different if they would claim that girl has suggested ( got idea) and later big guys managed to achieve it based on the idea. But the way its presented, it says that she did it...

    Prodigies exist everywhere in the world. Its good that some kids are at least trying to be innovative.

    [Prototype]
    ...I meant to say, its probably done by some bigger guy and made this girl go out in front to represent India...


    I mean, come on, suppose, if I was the 'bigger guy' (as you said), to have worked on such a technique, then it would have made more sense to get it patented in my name rather than giving away my technique to some class XI student for some entry in to a science fair, isn't it?
    And regarding the borrowing of ideas - all of us were born with no knowledge (at least I was..). We all have borrowed ideas from a great many people in our lives, experimented and improvised those ideas, and that is what makes us who we are today.


    [Prototype]
    ...Suggesting and doing are two different things. Also check the acknowledgement page. Those references, are you sure an XIth std student have read and understood all those?...


    Citing something on the acknowledgement page does not always mean that we have read all that matter in its entirety and have grasped all the aspects of it. It simply implies we have taken ideas from such material and improvised upon those ideas along with our own to come up with a solution to a given problem.
    On another note, just think: did we go through all our engineering textbooks end-to-end? No, we didn't (at least I didn't). We only went through and understood what was in the syllabus. But still, we do say that we have read this or that textbook during our engineering course.


    I can give you another example from my experience. I know a student in class XII, who has a very keen interest in mathematics. He worked out an entirely new method to solve certain types of equations. He brought it to me asking if it was indeed new or has someone already worked this out before him. In my opinion it was a new method, but to be sure I consulted two professors of mathematics for their views. They too agreed that this was a new method as far as they knew and suggested sending it to a national level journal of mathematics for peer-review and possible publication, if found suitable. The student contacted the journal and was disappointed to find that he was not eligible to send material for publication because of the following reasons: 1. He was not having a higher education degree in the subject; 2. He was not associated with any university/ institution of higher learning.

    In my opinion, these kinds of rules sometimes end up diluting the enthusiasm of students in science. Sad state of affairs, I must say. Rather than encouraging originality, we end up entangling talented students in the nitty-gritty of rules.



    Coming back to the main discussion, Google is doing a good job by providing a platform to students across the world to showcase their scientific skills. We need some more of such stuff around us. What say?
  • zaveri

    zaveri

    @zaveri-5TD6Sk • Aug 2, 2013

    Kaustubh Katdare
    I remember when I was 15, I was basically dissembling my R/C cars. 😏 and trying to make an R/C plane. Could never make a progress with it.


    well you should have used a lighter plane body and a propeller with longer blades.