blog.wired.com/geekdad/2008/09/12-year-old-rev.html
three-dimensional solar cell that absorbs UV as well as visible light. The combination of the two might greatly improve cell efficiency. William's project earned him a $25,000 scholarship and a trip to the Library of Congress to accept the award, which is usually given out for research at the graduate level. "Current solar cells are flat and can only absorb visible light," he said. "I came up with an innovative solar cell that absorbs both visible and UV light. My project focused on finding the optimum solar cell to further increase the light absorption and efficiency and design a nanotube for light-electricity conversion efficiency." You know, that's just what I was thinking when I was 12, but my idea didn't quite work. Well, it was just a paper towel roll with "Solar Rays" written on the side in Sharpie, and I tried to use it to melt GI Joe figures.
Sep 18, 2008 6:42:38 AM Amazing accomplishment for a 12 year old. Apparently he didn't build a working photocell, since the original article said that would be the next step. So he must have produced a promising _design_ for a 3D photovoltaic cell.
Sep 18, 2008 6:47:37 AM Sure, that's great and all, but how did he do on this years no child left behind evaluation? Seriously, it's people like this (especially twelve year olds) that make me feel good about the possibilities of people.
I'll take one extraordinary kid over a slew of standardized tests any day. Randy: Yes, it's been hard to ferret out the specifics of what William actually presented. Believe it or not, this article was much more technical than most I found on the subject. I'm hoping to see a Wired feature or Scientific American piece about him and his designs soon.
Sep 18, 2008 9:51:05 AM Hey CRadcliff , "I'll take one extraordinary kid over a slew of standardized tests any day. Guess the 99% not "extraordinary" should just give up and die then?
Sep 18, 2008 9:53:22 AM I'm (the new) middle-aged and this inspires me to listen to the little nudges inside of me. I feel more inspired to give some energy to the ideas I have and follow them through. I know you will inspire a lot of people before the day is out! You may just be one person who offers a lot of us the cheering we need to open our minds to work together to come up with solutions for our many world problems we share.
Sep 18, 2008 9:53:51 AM How do we get from this amazing discovery by an outstanding 12 year old to HS drop out rates and standardized test gripes? As the mother of a 12 year old, I say let William have his much deserved moment in the spot light.
Way to go, this will certainly help revolutionize the world as long as we get a President (such as John McCain, sorry Obama supporters) that's willing to change the way we get our energy and put your idea to good use.
" As a teacher myself, I can assure you I CARE more about the needs of each individual child, but I am forced to plan classroom activities geared more towards the lowest common denominator. Since the administrators care more about passing NCLB, they put the pressure on us. If the schools perform well, the administrators receive kudos and pay raises.
it is NOT the teachers who care about passing the NCLB tests. It is the administration who are pushed by the state and the state who are pushed by the Bush's laws. Teachers do not want to have 30% of their class time wasted to prepare for those test. We want to do more for our youths but everything that the Bush administration wants to do is give tests to see if kids are learning anything.
Sep 18, 2008 9:58:56 AM It's a blessing to have such kids discover important things. But more and more kids need to be encouraged to learn and discover even more!
Sep 18, 2008 9:59:09 AM This is the kind of stuff we need to really get our solar energy program going here in the US... I'd love to see cars powered by their own solar cells, so that they'd almost never run out of power (night travel would require large batteries).
It's to bad that the military and the USA government, does not have the technology to harness natural energy resources to be sustainable! Can you start researching a solar/alternative fuel vehicle, and a way that commercial as well as residential buildings can run and function on solar/wind/alternative fuel?
Hire a lawyer, patent your idea, hire a manufacturer, and have the manufacturer pay you royalties for every cell they sell. Companies will approach you to offer you to buy your patent. They might be companies with big oil trying to buy your patent and doing nothing with it to hinder progress.
Sep 18, 2008 10:00:12 AM Amazing that someone as young as he could theorize such an advanced idea, but unfortunately his idea has already been patented by a photovoltaic company.
and a thought which it seemed no one else bothered to come up with? Seriously, I'm hoping someone makes up the difference on that one over time because that is just petty.
Sep 18, 2008 10:00:50 AM Who cares if "his dad helped him"? The point is, here's a smart kid doing something good and eco-friendly. And let's hope that the system doesn't accidentally stamp out other kids with intelligence and potential. This 12yr old boy is getting the boost that he deserves, and if his dad did everything that he could to get his son there, then great!
I don't what anybody says about your project as far as your father helping you out. If your dad helped you out with some ideas, that the sign of a good parent, and parents that love and care about their children.
Sep 18, 2008 10:02:18 AM It's a shame that it took an intelligent young man like this to make a discovery that the industry probably made 25 years ago to force them into anouncing the technology.
You have to be proud of yourself, as your parents should be of you. Maintain throughout life with your good work, and remember always to be a good human being with honesty and the desire to do the best for humankind. Avoid selfishness, and look forward to have all your goals.
Sep 18, 2008 10:03:43 AM McCain will not help alternative energy sources, and his running mate doesn't believe in global warning. There is no way the GOP will change the status quo in anything.
Sep 18, 2008 10:04:07 AM I think the worst part is that he only got a $25,000 scolarship. That will last him for maybe one year at a state college. Colleges should be saying if you can do this now, when you are ready for college call us and it will be all expenses paid through your doctorate.
Sep 18, 2008 10:05:47 AM I guess I should explain my earlier comment a little... kid unlocks a retarded proprietary cell phone and gets $40K car and a job. Another kid invents way to save the world and gets a $25K scholarship that won't even pay for one year at a good institution.
I'll take one extraordinary kid over a slew of standardized tests any day. No, they shouldn't roll over and die, the other 99%, but school needs to be a matter of unlocking each person's great potential, not a matter of getting people to pass standardized tests. Statistical and anecdotal evidence tells us that those tests do not result in more William Yuans- and there are many such people with incredible brainpower who, because of our idiotic education system, remain unable to access that potential, despite the efforts of valiant individuals within that system- parents, teachers, etc. We need to make school an ally of folks like Yuan, rather than their enemy.
On leading both your imagination and the world to a brighter life. Edison's idea gave us the way to bring the world closer together and your idea will free us all no matter where we live. I thank you and most of all I thank God for giving the world William Yuan.
Sep 18, 2008 10:09:45 AM Umm, with few exceptions, exceptional kids pass the standardized tests. When I get ninth graders who have passed their way to me, I fail them and they can't figure out why. Testing was long overdue to correct the feel-good elementary standards injected beginning in the 70s. Measurable accountability is a part of a person's entire working life, whether he's a white-collar type, or works the grill at McDs. Kudos to this fine student, for whom the current tests were not intended.
Sep 18,...
|
http://csua.com/feed/