Google kicks off annual Science Fair w/ $100k in scholarships & grants up for grabs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAVIkr7HRMk

Google today has kicked off its fifth annual Science Fair in conjunction with LEGO Education, National Geographic, Scientific America, and Virgin Galactic. Starting today and running through May 18th, students between the ages of 13 and 18 can submit projects to Google across a variety of scientific fields for a chance to win one of a handful of prizes. Possible topics include biology, computer science, anthropology, and any other scientific field.

Students who submit a project have the opportunity to win $100,000 in scholarships and classroom grants from Scientific America and Google, a National Geographic Expedition to the Galapagos, a chance to visit LEGO designers at their headquarters in Denmark, and an opportunity to tour Virgin Galactic’s new spaceship at their Mojave Air and Spaceport.

Last year, the fifteen global finalists for the Google Science Far worked on wearable sensors to help keep track of Alzheimer’s patients and took on issues such as cyber bullying and world hunger.

It’s only through trying something that we can get somewhere. Flashlights required batteries, then Ann Makosinskitried the heat of her hand. His grandfather would wander out of bed at night, until Kenneth Shinozuka tried a wearable sensor. The power supply was constantly unstable in her Indian village, so Harine Ravichandran tried to build a different kind of regulator. Previous Science Fair winners have blown us away with their ideas. Now it’s your turn.

Google’s fifth annual science fair will run from today until May 18th. More information is available on the official Google blog.