We can anticipate a better future if we entrust the potential, imagination and enthusiasm of youth. The American magazine “TIME” chose a teenage scientist and inventor as the “Kid of the Year”, who hopes to inspire others to come up with ideas for solving global problems.
15-year-old Gitanjali Rao, from Denver, Colorado, was selected by a team of 5,000 candidates in the United States. She has invented technologies including a device that can detect lead in the drinking water for which she was awarded, as well as an application that uses artificial intelligence to detect cyberbullying content.
In an interview with actress Angelina Jolie for TIME magazine, the 15-year-old said: I don’t look like your typical scientist. Everything I see on TV is that it’s an older, usually white man as a scientist”. She continued by stating “My goal has really shifted not only from creating my own devices to solve the world’s problems, but inspiring others to do the same as well. Because from personal experience, it’s not easy when you don’t see anyone else like you. So, I really want to put out that message: If I can do it, you can do it, and anyone can do it”.
The young scientist also referred to the problems, old and new, faced by her generation. “We’re sitting here in the middle of a new global pandemic, and we’re also like still facing human-rights issues. There are problems that we did not create but that we now have to solve, like climate change and cyberbullying”.
There you go, kids! It’s your turn now. In youth we trust…
Sources:
https://www.ert.gr/eidiseis/diethni/to-periodiko-time-epilegei-to-paidi-tis-chronias/
