Engineering Design
- Computing
Computing: Swapping a glove for the keyboard
Sensor-studded gloves, designed by a Texas teen, might someday serve as a virtual keyboard or musical instrument — or even help interpret sign language.
- Plants
Using plants to solve environmental problems
Problems in their communities suggested good research projects to three teens. Each wanted to tackle a different issue, from pollution to world hunger. To learn more about these issues, they turned to their local ponds, wetlands and gardens.
- Tech
This door handle kills germs
A high-tech door handle may cut down on disease transmission, say its teen developers. The system is powered by simply opening and closing the door.
- Space
Collecting trash in space
Space junk threatens satellites that cost millions of dollars. But one teen has come up with an idea to collect and dispose of that orbiting trash.
- Chemistry
The science of getting away with murder
A student took her love of crime shows to the next level. She did a science fair project to find out which cleaner works best at getting rid of bloody evidence.
- Brain
Studying? Don’t answer that text!
Homework time? Put away the cell phone. Responding to texts gets in the way of learning and test-taking, teen researchers show.
- Materials Science
Keeping roofs cooler to cut energy costs
Cool it! A cheap paint-on coating for roofing shingles could help reduce a home’s heating bills and might even trim urban ozone levels, a teen shows.
- Tech
Teens want to make windshield wipers obsolete
Windshield wipers often can’t keep up with the rain. High-intensity air sprays might one day take their place, according to research by two teens.
- Oceans
Carbon dioxide levels rise fast and high
The buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rising faster than at any time since dinosaurs roamed the Earth. The burning of fossil fuels is largely to blame.
- Animals
Return of the bed bug
Bed bugs have staged a comeback over the past 15 years. The bloodsucking parasites succeeded through a combination of evolution and luck.
- Tech
Stepping out with a smarter cane
Many older people trip and fall on uneven ground. A Colorado teen has designed a ‘smart’ cane to help seniors avoid dangerous obstacles.
- Tech
Making cents of sounds
Some people give up when a vending machine rejects their money. But one student decided to turn his frustration into inspiration. Through research, he showed how to identify coins by the sounds they make.
