Impressive High School kids

[clifp]

By far my favorite thing Intel did in the corporate [-]propoganda [/-] PR department was take over the sponsorship of the Westinghouse Science Fair and turned into the Intel Science Talent Search.

Intel recruited the companies top scientists and engineers Intel Fellow to serve as judges. The folks who did so were universally impressed by the quality of the research these high quality. More than couple told me that despite having PHds there were a little intimidated to do the judging..

The kids research is generally over my head, but I was able to fall this year's winner.

Erika DeBenedictis, 18, of Albuquerque, N.M., won the top award of $100,000 from the Intel Foundation for her project developing a software navigation system to help improve spacecraft travel through the solar system. Erika's research found that the gravity and movement of planets create "easy transit routes," which will ultimately help spacecraft move faster and with less fuel.

Her passion for the subject was inspiring and she sure doesn't look like a typical geek. It does leave one feeling a bit better about America's future.
Intel STS 2010 Video

I am sure hoping she heads up NASA soon and gets mankind to Mars.

 

[ls99]

The kids research is generally over my head, but I was able to fall this year's winner.

Her passion for the subject was inspiring and she sure doesn't look like a typical geek. It does leave one feeling a bit better about America's future.
Intel STS 2010 Video

I am sure hoping she heads up NASA soon and gets mankind to Mars.

She is awsome. Just remember she is not typical.

I always liked brainy girls, even when I was a teenager. Her interests and solutions will really be useful. Now if I was 40 yrs younger an' single.

 

[Nords]

Hawaii has a brother-sister pair who've benefited hugely from their Intel experience:
2008 Intel Science Talent Search Winners Announced
Local whiz kid works smarter at Intel Fair | starbulletin.com | News | /2008/06/02/
NIH Cancer Project Wins Top Honors at Intel Science Fair - The NIH Record -July 10, 2009
http://www.siemens-foundation.org/pool/resources_for/press/StanfordWinnersRelease_FINAL_11_4_06.pdf

Harvard snapped 'em right up for the family-scholarship-twofer plan.

 

[clifp]

She is awsome. Just remember she is not typical.

I always liked brainy girls, even when I was a teenager. Her interests and solutions will really be useful. Now if I was 40 yrs younger an' single.

Not typical

Here is a list of her achievement from last year. I think she has won of scholarship money to pay for graduate work and maybe even a doctorate.

I read that her dream job is to work on a Mars mission...

 

[ERD50]

It is always exhilarating to hear bright people speaking about a topic they love. Good for her!

At first, I was a bit confused, because even I was aware (but don't fully understand) that they use gravity to pull a spacecraft through the solar system - that's one of the reasons they have 'launch windows' of time for some missions. But I guess she's doing it with a simulation rather than calculus. Take that, Newton!

-ERD50

 

[clifp]

It is always exhilarating to hear bright people speaking about a topic they love. Good for her!

At first, I was a bit confused, because even I was aware (but don't fully understand) that they use gravity to pull a spacecraft through the solar system - that's one of the reasons they have 'launch windows' of time for some missions. But I guess she's doing it with a simulation rather than calculus. Take that, Newton!

-ERD50

Heard her interview of NPR... They use gravitational slingshots to assist most unmanned missions. I think was different about her approach is that spacecraft is always falling toward some planet, which makes the mission much longer but much more fuel efficient.

Evidently she has changed her dream job,and now want to work on in the private space sector. If I was NASA, I'd be worried that rocket scientist don't want to work there anymore. I wonder if Virgin Galactic has made her an internship offer yet?