CALIFORNIA: The Science Fair at the White House, hosted by US President Barack Obama saw a major involvement by kids of Indian-origin in an example of how much the ethnic group has grown to dominate school-level STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) competitions, including events hosted by companies like Intel, Google, and Westinghouse.
Not all students take the challenge more seriously than the Indian-Americans, most of whom are children of parents themselves steeped in STEM. This year's finalist include Yashaswini Makaram, 17, of Massachusetts, who has created a new cellphone security tool that records the distinctive arm and hand motions people use to lift a mobile from a table to uniquely identify its owner; and Sanjana Rane, 18, from Kentucky has helped discover how a particular protein could be used to detect and treat renal fibrosis. At least two projects demoed at the White House were from student experiences in India. New Hampshire's Deepila Kurup worked on a solar-powered technology to rapidly remove bacteria from water, making her a finalist in the 2015 Google Science Fair and a winner of the National Geographic Explorer Award.
Some of the projects also involve frugal engineering. Astounded at the price of diagnostic spirometers- devices used to analyse lung health by having patients blow into them, San Jose, California high schooler Maya Varma developed a 3D printed version that costs a mere $35.
