Only 18, Indian-American Karan Jerath Bags Young Scientist Award
Indian-American teen Karan Jerath has won the prestigious Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award for his invention.
Karan Jerath just won the prestigious Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award (ISEF) for designing a device that shuts down undersea spills.
Here’s the back story.
Five years ago, Jerath was visiting Malaysia when the British Petroleum oil spill on the Gulf of Mexico made headlines. A science buff, Jerath, now 18, followed the coverage of the explosion, the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and how it malfunctioned.
There has got to be a better way to shut down the oil rig, thought Jerath. He spent 800 hours designing the perfect device, encouraged by his high school science teacher at Friendswood, Texas, where he lives. he finally succeeded.
A World of Appreciation, all at 18
Jerath, who shared the top place with two Canadian students, won $50,000 by showcasing the sturdy device that can collect oil, gas and water spewing from a broken well on the sea floor.
He explains his device:
Sensors inside the 350-ton device would measure the temperature, pressure and density of the mix of gases and fluids erupting from a well. A computer would then calculate how values in the gadget should be adjusted so that the gas and oil can be collected as homogenous phases. That should stop a spill in its tracks. The device could help an ecological catastrophe and reduce cleanup costs.
Jerath is also one of five students selected for the Intel and Ind-US Science and Technology Forum Visit to India Award. Among the other four, Raymond Wong won for his invention of sophisticated software to analyse the flow of air inside aircraft cabins. Nicole Tecia, on the other hand, developed a technique to diagnose infections by HIV, the virus responsible for AIDS.
Launched in 1950 and sponsored by Intel, ISEF attracts the brightest teens and is a programme of Society for Science & the Public. This year 1,702 high schoolers participated.
Maya Ajmera, president and CEO, SSP, says that the winners showcased extraordinary work that they have been able to accomplish at a young age in diverse topics.
Jerath’s Advice to Young Innovators Like Him
Jerath will study petroleum engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. He will continue to work on his invention and is hoping to find a company to fund the software for the device.
He was born in Mumbai, India, but moved to Malaysia where the family lived for 11 years – before immigrating to the US. His father Vivek is a manager at the Norweigan Shipping Company and his mother Kamal is an artist. His sister Geetika is studying to be a lawyer.
Advice to young innovators?
It doesn’t matter if your idea is small, work at it. Allow it to become a reality, present it and the world will notice it. Just never give up.
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