Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Google Wants To Find The Next Larry Or Sergey With Online Science Fair

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2011/01/11/google-wants-to-find-the-next-larry-or-sergey-with-online-science-fair/

Many of you may have gone through the rite of passage in grade school called the science fair. For any one who is interested in science and technology, the annual Science Fair is actually a fun (and educational) experience for young kids. Today, Google is launching a really interesting new venture today—an online science fair for young adults.

The Google Science Fair, which is in partnership with CERN, The LEGO Group, National Geographic and Scientific American, is open to students around the world who are between the ages of 13-18. Either individually or in teams of three, contestants can build and submit a project (via photos and videos), hypothesis, as well as written observations online using Google Sites. Click here for an example.

Prizes include a trip to the Galapagos Islands with a National Geographic Explorer, scholarships and real-life work opportunities (i.e., a 5-day trip to CERN in Switzerland). Google will post semi-finalist selections online (the public will be encouraged to vote for their favorite project), and 15 finalists will be invited to Google headquarters in mid-July to present their projects to a panel of judges, which will include Dean Kamen, Vint Cerf, Spencer Wells, Kary Mullis, Marion Nestle, and Peter Norvig.

Of course, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are living proof that the world’s best ideas can come from young students. And not only is the Science Fair is a great marketing tool for Google to connect with a younger demographic, but the search giant could also scout for potential talent as well.



Posted by Augustine at 9:19 AM