Science Fair: The Series (2023) s01e03 Episode Script
The Big Dance
1
It's about to get real
in Atlanta
as brilliant young scientists converge
from across the globe.
An intense year of research
and qualifying fairs has led to this
the International Science
and Engineering Fair.
We're outside in Georgia
for the first time.
Scary.
The buildings here are just incredible.
I'm here!
And I'm so proud to be here,
representing my country and my continent.
It took, like, four days to pack.
It's the Super Bowl
of science fairs.
And the city is buzzing with brain power.
What's up, kids?
You going to the science fair, right?
What's better, nerd or geek?
I like both.
It's definitely exciting to be
here at an international competition.
Winning a competition like ISEF would
really showcase the things that I make.
Winning here
requires top-notch science
and stellar presenting skills.
This hotel is so luxurious.
I just hope the table size is big enough
'cause I gotta do some work
before we do judging.
Olivia!
Yes!
I'm glad I made it to Atlanta.
I just think it's really
a cool environment to be in.
I kinda just want people to learn
about my project.
The stakes are high,
with millions of dollars in prizes
and opportunities to catch the attention
of top universities.
Just being here
is an achievement for me,
reaching the top that I wanted to reach
all these years.
So I didn't want to miss it.
A win here can catapult
a teen scientist toward their dream
of getting to the top of their field.
This is me, right here, on this.
Now, let the competition begin.
Welcome, everyone,
to the 2022 International
Science and Engineering Fair.
We are back!
And how great does that feel?!
Three hundred
and eighty-seven affiliated science fairs
were held across 63 countries, regions,
and territories.
Congratulations, finalists!
Let's do this!
Welcome to ISEF.
Participants, please proceed
to the main entrance.
We're at
the World Congress Center in Atlanta.
Yeah, shooketh. We're, like, here.
It's crazy. Like, I made it to ISEF.
Like, I'm an official participant.
It's intense.
It's, like, so big.
There's so much going on.
ISEF is, like, really huge and I'm like,
"How long are we gonna walk for?"
I literally feel like I've been walking
for, like, a whole mile.
Fourteen, 15. Huh?
Marissa?
Do not lose this.
It's $400 to replace.
We just registered, and we got
our really expensive, very cool badges.
Everybody, can you give me
your yellow forms, please?
We have to pay for each student
to attend ISEF.
We have to pay for the students' airfare.
We have to pay for their hotel stay.
Thank you.
We spent over $4,000 for each one
of you guys to be here. Respect it.
And there's kids that would have taken
your spot.
I am Knowledge Chikundi,
the founder and director
of the Zimbabwe Science Fair.
Our students should be setting up
their projects in the exhibit hall,
but we've got some challenges.
- What's your last name?
- But why can't? Chikundi.
We have some outstanding fees.
If we don't get the money,
our finalists won't be judged.
I have to come up with a plan
that will allow the students
to enter into the venues.
- Oh, my God!
- Oh!
We don't want our students to know
that we have this going on.
Yeah, so right now,
they don't know anything.
We're playing
the Zimbabwean way.
No miss, no lucky card.
No pick and play.
I love this place.
These are memories
that are gonna last, like, forever,
which is really special.
We owe $1,250.
That is salary for a teacher in Zimbabwe
for five or six months.
So it's a lot of money. Yeah.
It will be tough.
Yeah.
Yeah, maybe a moment. Yeah.
- Are you nervous?
- A little bit. But like
In a good way or bad way?
- Good way.
- Okay.
I am in a different mindset
when I hit the floor of ISEF,
because this competition is well known.
MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Yale,
and other big-name colleges,
they're at ISEF because they know
these are the students
they want in their school.
They definitely are watching.
The stakes are high.
See, I'm wondering
if it wraps around this side.
Yeah, there we go. See that?
These projects are scary.
Your project's scary!
Don't underestimate what you did, kid.
All of the kids are brilliant,
but there are definitely a group of kids
that everybody wants to know.
Amber Luo, are you joking?
She's like a celebrity.
Amber Luo,
a Ward Melville High School senior,
who finished third in the prestigious
Regeneron Science Talent Search.
She's very impressive.
She's going to MIT.
My project looks at the molecular changes
in the process of protein synthesis
that occur in disease.
And so, researchers can use it
to design new drugs and therapies.
I am Yavuz Bülent Yurduseven
from Turkey.
There was a question which appeared
150 years ago, the Broken Sticks Problem.
And my math project is actually the first
solution proposal to that problem.
I cannot pronounce the first three words.
I was like, "I don't even know
what that is." Like, "What is that?"
Gitanjali Rao is not
your average 15-year-old.
She is an inventor, a scientist,
and now, TIME magazine
has named her "Kid of the Year."
I wanted to create
a portable device
to diagnose for addiction.
To do that, I built
an artificial intelligence algorithm
in an app that reads out all the results
so physicians can test patients
for opiate addiction.
I kept hearing her name over and over.
I went and watched her presentation
'cause I was curious.
I was like, "Who's this person
getting all these awards?"
The level of excellence
is so high.
The kids are really driven,
highly motivated.
This is a rough world.
Get tight, get ready.
As in any competition,
there are favorites and long shots.
And of course, the occasional comeback.
When we last talked, I wasn't sure
whether I would have had a spot at ISEF.
So, I'm the last one. Lottery.
I worked my ass off
the next two months or so.
He made it through
the regional fair
and earned an ISEF position.
When you try
to do something disruptive
or you create something innovative,
you have to kinda do your own thing.
And that's definitely what I did.
Kevin works very hard,
and he's very smart.
So that gives him some confidence.
He believes in himself, and he should.
I know that I can win,
I know that I want to win.
I know that competition is gonna be tough,
and that I have to be excellent.
It's a very hectic day.
Emails, calls, meetings, and things
to try and get
the affiliation fee issue resolved.
My students are so important to me.
And with support,
they will do amazing things
for Zimbabwe and the world.
We can't let a little bit of money
stand in their way.
Hello? Oh, okay.
This is amazing. Thank you.
Thank you so much.
I am excited
because we have achieved our goal.
One of our team's sponsors
helped us cover the fees.
Team Zimbabwe!
After reaching the convention center,
the energy just shot up
and we're all just excited.
Welcome to ISEF.
Seeing the students excited
about the upcoming judging,
it means a lot to me.
So all the, uh
the exhaustion sort of fades a bit.
Yeah.
Without Knowledge,
we would have no international fairs.
We would have no connection
to the outside world.
He has just pushed through some of
the hardest obstacles, and he powers on.
He may or may not know it,
but that's an impact that goes a long way.
Perfection is what you're striving for.
The goal is to try to be
as perfect as possible for the judges.
Imagine that you have
the judges right in front of you.
Tell us about your project.
Good morning.
My name is Endrick Garcia Torres.
The title of my project is "An IOT-based
Wound Care Monitoring System."
So, my project originated when I was
watching the Tokyo Olympics,
and I found a lot of controversy
surrounding the women
and what they were wearing.
They got deducted points.
- Because of what they wore?
- What?
Because of
what they were wearing?
Yeah, yeah, it was because of
what they were wearing.
They were wearing the full, um,
a full, like, unitard.
This is my project.
"Reduce, Reuse, Digest:
Optimizing the PETase Enzyme."
There's a possibility that
We're practicing for tomorrow,
except this time we don't have our boards
or our presentations,
so we kinda just have to wing it.
So, in my project, I built my own design
of a synchronous reluctance motor,
with the goal of trying to improve
its torque and its efficiency.
So I found the reed
as an alternative,
and these reeds grow virtually anywhere.
They grow within one to two
Two minutes. Do you know two minutes?
Yes, okay.
Any question is possible
for the judges.
And I know that sometimes you guys wanna
present your full presentations.
Most of them won't wanna hear it.
If you can't answer a question,
you're done. You won't do well.
By ISEF, we've probably
gone through their presentation
between 50 and 100 times and tweaked it.
- You ready?
- Should I time myself?
- I got ya.
- All right.
- Can I just start?
- Okay.
Good morning. My name's Natasha Kulviwat,
and I'm here to present my passion
for adolescent suicide research.
So, suicide is the second-leading
cause of death in adolescence,
yet there are no objective markers
to predict adolescent suicide.
And despite decades of research
This is a heavy topic.
Right? She's talking about suicide.
She can't do it.
I asked her to tone down her
which compared to other
Yeah, she can't
She can't do it.
- I've tried.
- 'Cause I don't want her to
-rub a judge the wrong way.
-I know, I've told her. I get it.
decrease suicidal behavior. Thank you.
I love your personality,
I think you are phenomenal.
- But this is, like, a heavy subject.
- Yeah.
You're so over the top a little bit.
Like, so excited.
Like, I I don't know
how people are gonna take it.
It didn't come off well.
Yeah. No, it's 'cause, like, um, usually
I get emotional when talking about it,
so I have to compensate. I
- I get that, too. I
- Yeah. No, I understand.
My parents didn't really want me
to do suicide research
'cause they thought that it would be too,
like hit too close to home.
And I do get, like, emotional.
But then I'm like,
"Oh, this is for a really good cause."
So I keep doing it.
Natasha's phenomenal.
She's a special kid.
I love giving her critiques
because I know that she's gonna nitpick
everything that I say
to make sure that it's perfect.
And I know people are like,
"Dang, she's so strict."
But I know what's coming.
I'm so excited
for the pin exchange.
It's a finalist-exclusive event.
All the kids have these pins
from different places.
- Where are you guys from?
- We're from Chicago, Illinois.
-Awesome!
-Oh!
We're doing pin exchange,
but New Orleans style,
so Mardi Gras beads.
The whole idea of having pins
is a really good one.
Especially, when you have, like,
that awkwardness
between someone
you totally don't know.
Then you can just randomly be like,
"Hey, can I have a pin?"
And the worst thing that can happen
is they say no.
- Hi.
- Hey.
I'm from Puerto Rico,
where are you from?
- I'm from Germany.
- Looks fun.
Like, just meeting these other people
from different countries is surreal.
My project is about the Olympics
and the gender differences
between men and women in the uniforms.
Oh, that's so cool.
I'm coming from Turkey.
From Thailand.
I'm from Wildwood, Florida.
I got a pin from, like, Switzerland.
I got a pin from, like, Saudi Arabia.
And there's pins from, like,
every country and every state.
I'm on a mission to find someone
from Australia.
Oh, my gosh! Those are so cute.
I draw them myself.
-You can have one from both
-No way!
Yeah, um,
I met people from Egypt, all over.
It's a lot of people.
I think this is the first time
it's kinda set in
how many people actually are at ISEF.
What's your project on?
I'm doing cancer modeling.
- I'm doing cancer Awesome!
- Yeah.
Oh!
I'm so glad to see,
like, Thailand.
Like, my family's from Thailand, I'm Thai,
so it really means a lot to see
a lot of Thai people here, too.
Oh. The elevators are
always slow on competition day
because all of the kids now
are rushing to go down.
I'm very nervous about today.
Especially 'cause I woke up late.
You know, I'm just gonna be
rushing all day.
I feel like an impostor here.
How am I going to be able to compete
against all these insane projects?
Being a performer for so long,
I've learned how to deal
with those butterfly feelings
and nerves and nervousness.
In research and in science fair,
it's the exact same thing.
When a judge approaches me,
I want them to feel the significance
and the impact of my work.
I feel nervous,
but I'm like, "It is what it is."
Like, "It's gonna go whatever way."
You can't you can't, like,
predict these things.
It's like, you just
gotta give your best talk.
But I'm ready. Kind of.
Yeah,
today is my last judging day ever.
Obviously, placing would be
at ISEF is a big deal.
So, it'd definitely be really cool.
We were supposed to be down there
five minutes ago or something.
This whole entire year led to this moment.
I'm really excited to show them
what I know.
And this time, I actually have my binders.
Competition day. Game day.
Yeah, I'm like, trying to win.
Trying to take home something, at least,
for me and Savdiel.
Puerto Rico!
Everything was a bit topsy-turvy
'cause last night we, uh,
slept kind of late
uh, practicing and practicing.
So this morning, we were just
all over the place trying to get here.
I'm a little more nervous
this year.
I have a new intro.
What? Don't change your intro.
What?
I try not to psych myself out too much.
But of course, you can't help but think
about what kind of questions
the judges could ask you.
God bless us
and send your Holy Spirit
to shine upon our face.
The exhibit hall has opened.
That means we can go in for judging.
The science fair competitions
offer the students scholarships
and straight cash.
The ISEF top prize is $75,000,
second prize, $50,000.
It's a lot of money for a 17-year-old.
I'm feeling pretty relaxed
now that I'm here
and like, in my little cage.
I'm, like, really freaking out.
I feel like I'm gonna cry. Like, it's bad.
Okay, don't cry. No crying.
It's gonna happen. Oh, my God.
Yeah. I don't know.
Maybe it's 'cause I haven't cried yet?
Oh, there it is. It's happening. Yeah.
ISEF judges look at the value
and originality of each research topic.
They're also sizing up
research methodology
and scientific analysis.
Presenting skills and board appearance
also weigh heavily in the final rank.
These judges,
they're PhDs in the field
of the student's project.
So if you can tango with that person,
you know your stuff.
You should win.
Either you were great
and the judges saw it,
or you're maybe more average
and maybe you don't know the science.
Um, so
Give me a sec.
I just want to wait for the time.
No, that's fair. That's fair.
Hello. Nice to meet you.
- Nice meeting you.
- My name's Natasha.
What inspired me to do this project
was that I noticed
that a significant amount
of suicide studies focused on
I definitely think that
it could be used for other species,
but like, the parameters are definitely,
like, specific
But why should I care
about these birds?
These talks are weird.
They're more, like, conversational.
You're talking and then you get
interrupted 'cause there's a question.
So it, it feels like
I'm all, like, discombobulated
and then, like, I forget what I'm saying.
I engineered a reed biofuel
to serve as a main source
of fuel in Zimbabwe.
So, we're moving more
towards electric vehicles,
but then we're using these
unsustainable rare-earth materials.
I made a new type of electric motor.
So, now I wanna actually
characterize the genomic role
of contractions in cancer
and compare them to other diseases.
We know that false positives exist
in this set.
Do you know the percent
in false positives?
- I'm about to tell you that.
- Okay.
I actually created three solutions
that were all successful
to eliminate excessive nutrients
in the water.
It has a disulfide bridge
so it has extra stability and support.
You're saying nobody
has done this before?
Good luck with everything.
Hope you win.
Thank you so much.
Take care of yourself. Have a nice day.
And my study thus prevents
suicidal behavior as well.
And that's what the suicide field needs.
My last judge wasn't good.
- Olivia.
- Am I crying? I can't even feel it.
Why is everything so funny?
I think you're just exhausted,
Olivia.
Whoo!
Yeah, we're done. We finished.
It feels really good.
-Like, it's great to just
-Bittersweet.
Ah!
This is the last science fair
I'm ever gonna do!
There were some questions I missed.
I know I missed, but
I got the story out
and the story was really engaging
and seemed to capture a lot of the judges.
I feel like today was not really my day.
Like, it was definitely not
my best performance,
which is a shame
'cause you are supposed to peak at ISEF.
I want sleep. I'm done. I'm tired.
I've never been
to an aquarium before.
This is my first time
and I'm really excited.
Look at the white fish.
Oh my gosh, it's so cool! It's so ugly.
I think if I didn't love science,
my life would be boring.
Because I did science fair,
I know what I'm going to do
and I know it's something
that I'm going to love.
Getting around that rock.
As an overall life goal,
I wanna continue making things.
I wanna change the world
with new technologies.
To be able to do that,
I think would be the dream.
Nothing's going to stop
these students.
So what we just need is to keep on
supporting them in whatever way we can
so that they will make it to the top
and then they will support
the future generations.
Whoa!
When we go to these fairs,
it's like entering a different world.
Talking to the other students from
different countries, different regions,
with different problems
that they're also trying to solve.
It's just a different kind of inspiration.
It's like, first-hand inspiration.
We know what comes out
of science fairs.
We get new technologies, we get new drugs,
we get new computational processes
that'll help us diagnose disease
from kids.
These kids are gonna
truly change the world.
Good luck. Okay?
Good luck, ladies. Good luck, good luck.
I didn't purposefully say,
"This is the best group I've ever seen."
Because if you build them up,
when they go in there,
they're gonna fall so far down.
Some of the teachers are like,
"Aw, but everybody gets a prize."
But in real life,
everybody doesn't get a prize.
Here we are,
at the International Science
and Engineering Fair
Grand Awards Ceremony!
You have participated in the largest
science competition in the world.
So congratulations
to each and every one of you.
Grand Awards
are presented in each of
the 21 categories at ISEF
and come with cash prizes.
Top Awards are selected from among
the first place category award winners
and include larger cash prizes
and opportunities to advance
their research and education.
The very top award is $75,000
and the title of "Best in Fair."
I'm not expecting to place because I know
the competition here is top-notch.
I don't think I have any chance
to get any awards,
but following your passions
is how you do great things.
Ladies and gentlemen,
honored guests and finalists,
the time has come.
We will proceed category in order,
presenting fourth, third,
and second place winners together.
The first place awards
will be presented separately.
And the top awards
will conclude today's program.
In the category
of Biochemistry,
the fourth place award winners are
In the category of
Biomedical and Health Sciences,
third place award winners are
In the category of Chemistry
Plant sciences
Physics and Astronomy
Mathematics
The second place award winners
The fourth place award winners
The third place award winners are
What's going through my mind is, like,
really rapid, very loud, screaming.
But on the exterior,
I'm just trying to survive.
In the category
of Animal Sciences,
the fourth place award winners are
from Monte Vista, Colorado,
Marissa Lilianna Martinez.
Oh, my God!
I'm so shook. I don't know,
I feel, like, complete.
I feel like all the hard work that I did,
I'm being rewarded for that now,
and it's really, really cool.
In the category
of Plant Sciences,
the fourth place award winners are
from Merritt Island, Florida,
Erin Catherine Gaydar.
Let's go, Erin!
I didn't think I was gonna get anything.
I mean, you're against the whole world.
So pretty awesome.
In the category
of Environmental Engineering,
Chloe Rebecca Hindes.
Oh!
It's definitely a confidence boost.
- Congrats!
- Congrats.
I tend to downplay everything I do, like,
"Oh, yeah, it's not that great."
I mean, "it sounds like it's cool
but it's not really anything."
But now I realize that
it actually is really cool,
and I actually did something great.
In the category of
Behavioral and Social Sciences,
from Jericho, New York, Natasha Kulviwat.
Whoo!
I've always dreamed of walking
across the ISEF stage.
That was really nice.
Because I didn't think I'd get an award.
It's never gonna get better than this.
From Midland, Michigan,
Olivia Jean Wagner.
It's nice to be a part of
the family ISEF tradition of winning,
but I think that the most important thing
is fighting for these rights for women,
and that people will back me
and support my project.
It's really inspiring.
In the category of Energy,
Sustainable Materials, and Design,
from Harare, Zimbabwe,
Memory Panashe Bvungo.
Memory!
We won! Team Z won! We did it.
I can't believe what was a dream
a few moments ago is actually happening.
And they got second place which is like
it's a lot, it's a lot.
I don't wanna cry, but
for a girl to get second place
from Zimbabwe, and third?
It's incredible.
I'm still, like, in shock
and I'm very emotional
because we all made it.
I'm so proud
of our young scientists,
and uh and emotional, yeah.
To think of the challenges we had for them
to get here and how they just shined.
Now, onto the announcement
of our first place awards
given to those individuals and teams
that our judges deemed
the best in each category.
The first place award winner
in Cellular and Molecular Biology is
from Auburn, Alabama,
Shivani Ruk Babu.
From Garden City, New York,
James Nagler.
From Dammam, Saudi Arabia,
Abdulaziz Al-Ghamdi.
From Woodlands, Texas, Sohi Sanjay Patel.
Endrick, Kevin, and Robert
have not received awards,
which could mean two things.
Either they won first place
or nothing at all.
The first place award winners
in Computational Biology
and Bioinformatics are
from Nakhon Pathom, Thailand,
Pawit Kaewnuratchadasorn,
Nattawin Yamprasert,
Wutthipong Chongchareansanti.
And from Jericho, New York, Kevin Zhu.
Yes! Yes!
Kevin!
Oh, my God!
Whoo!
So relieved.
Uh, it was so stressful that
Waiting af especially after fourth,
third, and second were called,
just waiting
for first place to get called, so
It was a really, really nice feeling.
This means the world to me.
The first place award winners
in Biomedical Engineering are
from Istanbul, Turkey, Emirhan Kurtulus,
and from Portland, Oregon,
Rishab Kumar Jain.
Still fairly proud because
somebody from my island actually won.
It is not about me only,
it's about our whole delegation.
I'm emotional right now.
For me, you are a big winner.
So my main winner. Yes.
The first place award winners
in Engineering Technology, Statics,
and Dynamics are
from Fort Pierce, Florida,
Robert Nicholas Sansone.
Congratulations. Great job.
Thank you.
When they announced fourth through second,
I was like, "Well, I either did
really good or really bad.
I don't We'll see."
And now, our final presentation,
the George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award,
which recognizes the best of the best
among the outstanding students
from around the world
who participate in ISEF.
The winner of the $75,000,
George D. Yancopoulos
Innovator Award is
A science fair competition
that started
with more than 30 million students
has now been whittled down
to category winners,
each now eligible for
the "Best in Fair" award.
For Kevin, whose science fair journey
started with disappointment,
winning ISEF and the $75,000 award
would be sweet validation.
And for Robert, the son of an
air-conditioning repairman,
it would put him one step closer
to his dream of getting to MIT.
The winner of the $75,000
George D. Yancopoulos
Innovator Award is
in the category of Engineering Technology,
Statics and Dynamics,
from Fort Pierce, Florida,
Robert Sansone!
Thank you!
Yes!
Thank you.
Oh, look at his smile!
He never smiles like that.
I'm holding it together.
I just I did it.
I won the International Science Fair.
Congratulations.
How are you feeling?
Absolutely amazing.
You have a great project
that could change the world. I'm sure.
It's real, I promise.
There's like a million things
coming your way.
Even when they bring you backstage,
there's people talking to you
and there's cameras
and there's people asking you questions
and doing all these things.
- Straight on, or
- Face towards me.
My face was, like, numb.
Like, that's never happened before.
There's so many people,
you know, congratulating.
It says, "We have folks around the school
cheering for you."
In the category
of Engineering Technology,
Statics and Dynamics,
from Fort Pierce
Robert! Robert! Robert!
Robert! Robert! Robert!
Robby, you did it!
I'm so proud of you, buddy.
We knew you could do it. This is your
- World champion.
- All right!
Oh, my gosh.
I just want to thank everyone
graduating here today.
We're so happy you're here,
and you have proved
that you can do anything.
We have gone through so many struggles,
and, you know,
we pulled it off flawlessly.
Whoa!
Each and every one of us
has grown into someone amazing.
We are the class
of twenty twenty-th two
Catch you on the rebound.
I'm seeing the future ♪
I'm seeing the future through the past ♪
Been watching the sunset ♪
Been watching the sun set way too fast ♪
Can't help but wonder
if there are better ways to get ♪
On with the upward ♪
Get higher and higher ♪
Yes!
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
I submitted my MIT application
in November.
You know, then the day came
of the decision.
Let's do it. Status update.
Gotta give it up! ♪
Whoo! Yes! Yes! Yes! Whoo!
Yes!
Yes! Come, come, come, come on!
Gotta give it up! ♪
I wanted to go
to MIT since sixth grade
and I put an insane amount of work
into my ISEF project,
and that work is a subset of all the work
that I put in to get into MIT.
On with the upward,
get on with the upward ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
It's about to get real
in Atlanta
as brilliant young scientists converge
from across the globe.
An intense year of research
and qualifying fairs has led to this
the International Science
and Engineering Fair.
We're outside in Georgia
for the first time.
Scary.
The buildings here are just incredible.
I'm here!
And I'm so proud to be here,
representing my country and my continent.
It took, like, four days to pack.
It's the Super Bowl
of science fairs.
And the city is buzzing with brain power.
What's up, kids?
You going to the science fair, right?
What's better, nerd or geek?
I like both.
It's definitely exciting to be
here at an international competition.
Winning a competition like ISEF would
really showcase the things that I make.
Winning here
requires top-notch science
and stellar presenting skills.
This hotel is so luxurious.
I just hope the table size is big enough
'cause I gotta do some work
before we do judging.
Olivia!
Yes!
I'm glad I made it to Atlanta.
I just think it's really
a cool environment to be in.
I kinda just want people to learn
about my project.
The stakes are high,
with millions of dollars in prizes
and opportunities to catch the attention
of top universities.
Just being here
is an achievement for me,
reaching the top that I wanted to reach
all these years.
So I didn't want to miss it.
A win here can catapult
a teen scientist toward their dream
of getting to the top of their field.
This is me, right here, on this.
Now, let the competition begin.
Welcome, everyone,
to the 2022 International
Science and Engineering Fair.
We are back!
And how great does that feel?!
Three hundred
and eighty-seven affiliated science fairs
were held across 63 countries, regions,
and territories.
Congratulations, finalists!
Let's do this!
Welcome to ISEF.
Participants, please proceed
to the main entrance.
We're at
the World Congress Center in Atlanta.
Yeah, shooketh. We're, like, here.
It's crazy. Like, I made it to ISEF.
Like, I'm an official participant.
It's intense.
It's, like, so big.
There's so much going on.
ISEF is, like, really huge and I'm like,
"How long are we gonna walk for?"
I literally feel like I've been walking
for, like, a whole mile.
Fourteen, 15. Huh?
Marissa?
Do not lose this.
It's $400 to replace.
We just registered, and we got
our really expensive, very cool badges.
Everybody, can you give me
your yellow forms, please?
We have to pay for each student
to attend ISEF.
We have to pay for the students' airfare.
We have to pay for their hotel stay.
Thank you.
We spent over $4,000 for each one
of you guys to be here. Respect it.
And there's kids that would have taken
your spot.
I am Knowledge Chikundi,
the founder and director
of the Zimbabwe Science Fair.
Our students should be setting up
their projects in the exhibit hall,
but we've got some challenges.
- What's your last name?
- But why can't? Chikundi.
We have some outstanding fees.
If we don't get the money,
our finalists won't be judged.
I have to come up with a plan
that will allow the students
to enter into the venues.
- Oh, my God!
- Oh!
We don't want our students to know
that we have this going on.
Yeah, so right now,
they don't know anything.
We're playing
the Zimbabwean way.
No miss, no lucky card.
No pick and play.
I love this place.
These are memories
that are gonna last, like, forever,
which is really special.
We owe $1,250.
That is salary for a teacher in Zimbabwe
for five or six months.
So it's a lot of money. Yeah.
It will be tough.
Yeah.
Yeah, maybe a moment. Yeah.
- Are you nervous?
- A little bit. But like
In a good way or bad way?
- Good way.
- Okay.
I am in a different mindset
when I hit the floor of ISEF,
because this competition is well known.
MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Yale,
and other big-name colleges,
they're at ISEF because they know
these are the students
they want in their school.
They definitely are watching.
The stakes are high.
See, I'm wondering
if it wraps around this side.
Yeah, there we go. See that?
These projects are scary.
Your project's scary!
Don't underestimate what you did, kid.
All of the kids are brilliant,
but there are definitely a group of kids
that everybody wants to know.
Amber Luo, are you joking?
She's like a celebrity.
Amber Luo,
a Ward Melville High School senior,
who finished third in the prestigious
Regeneron Science Talent Search.
She's very impressive.
She's going to MIT.
My project looks at the molecular changes
in the process of protein synthesis
that occur in disease.
And so, researchers can use it
to design new drugs and therapies.
I am Yavuz Bülent Yurduseven
from Turkey.
There was a question which appeared
150 years ago, the Broken Sticks Problem.
And my math project is actually the first
solution proposal to that problem.
I cannot pronounce the first three words.
I was like, "I don't even know
what that is." Like, "What is that?"
Gitanjali Rao is not
your average 15-year-old.
She is an inventor, a scientist,
and now, TIME magazine
has named her "Kid of the Year."
I wanted to create
a portable device
to diagnose for addiction.
To do that, I built
an artificial intelligence algorithm
in an app that reads out all the results
so physicians can test patients
for opiate addiction.
I kept hearing her name over and over.
I went and watched her presentation
'cause I was curious.
I was like, "Who's this person
getting all these awards?"
The level of excellence
is so high.
The kids are really driven,
highly motivated.
This is a rough world.
Get tight, get ready.
As in any competition,
there are favorites and long shots.
And of course, the occasional comeback.
When we last talked, I wasn't sure
whether I would have had a spot at ISEF.
So, I'm the last one. Lottery.
I worked my ass off
the next two months or so.
He made it through
the regional fair
and earned an ISEF position.
When you try
to do something disruptive
or you create something innovative,
you have to kinda do your own thing.
And that's definitely what I did.
Kevin works very hard,
and he's very smart.
So that gives him some confidence.
He believes in himself, and he should.
I know that I can win,
I know that I want to win.
I know that competition is gonna be tough,
and that I have to be excellent.
It's a very hectic day.
Emails, calls, meetings, and things
to try and get
the affiliation fee issue resolved.
My students are so important to me.
And with support,
they will do amazing things
for Zimbabwe and the world.
We can't let a little bit of money
stand in their way.
Hello? Oh, okay.
This is amazing. Thank you.
Thank you so much.
I am excited
because we have achieved our goal.
One of our team's sponsors
helped us cover the fees.
Team Zimbabwe!
After reaching the convention center,
the energy just shot up
and we're all just excited.
Welcome to ISEF.
Seeing the students excited
about the upcoming judging,
it means a lot to me.
So all the, uh
the exhaustion sort of fades a bit.
Yeah.
Without Knowledge,
we would have no international fairs.
We would have no connection
to the outside world.
He has just pushed through some of
the hardest obstacles, and he powers on.
He may or may not know it,
but that's an impact that goes a long way.
Perfection is what you're striving for.
The goal is to try to be
as perfect as possible for the judges.
Imagine that you have
the judges right in front of you.
Tell us about your project.
Good morning.
My name is Endrick Garcia Torres.
The title of my project is "An IOT-based
Wound Care Monitoring System."
So, my project originated when I was
watching the Tokyo Olympics,
and I found a lot of controversy
surrounding the women
and what they were wearing.
They got deducted points.
- Because of what they wore?
- What?
Because of
what they were wearing?
Yeah, yeah, it was because of
what they were wearing.
They were wearing the full, um,
a full, like, unitard.
This is my project.
"Reduce, Reuse, Digest:
Optimizing the PETase Enzyme."
There's a possibility that
We're practicing for tomorrow,
except this time we don't have our boards
or our presentations,
so we kinda just have to wing it.
So, in my project, I built my own design
of a synchronous reluctance motor,
with the goal of trying to improve
its torque and its efficiency.
So I found the reed
as an alternative,
and these reeds grow virtually anywhere.
They grow within one to two
Two minutes. Do you know two minutes?
Yes, okay.
Any question is possible
for the judges.
And I know that sometimes you guys wanna
present your full presentations.
Most of them won't wanna hear it.
If you can't answer a question,
you're done. You won't do well.
By ISEF, we've probably
gone through their presentation
between 50 and 100 times and tweaked it.
- You ready?
- Should I time myself?
- I got ya.
- All right.
- Can I just start?
- Okay.
Good morning. My name's Natasha Kulviwat,
and I'm here to present my passion
for adolescent suicide research.
So, suicide is the second-leading
cause of death in adolescence,
yet there are no objective markers
to predict adolescent suicide.
And despite decades of research
This is a heavy topic.
Right? She's talking about suicide.
She can't do it.
I asked her to tone down her
which compared to other
Yeah, she can't
She can't do it.
- I've tried.
- 'Cause I don't want her to
-rub a judge the wrong way.
-I know, I've told her. I get it.
decrease suicidal behavior. Thank you.
I love your personality,
I think you are phenomenal.
- But this is, like, a heavy subject.
- Yeah.
You're so over the top a little bit.
Like, so excited.
Like, I I don't know
how people are gonna take it.
It didn't come off well.
Yeah. No, it's 'cause, like, um, usually
I get emotional when talking about it,
so I have to compensate. I
- I get that, too. I
- Yeah. No, I understand.
My parents didn't really want me
to do suicide research
'cause they thought that it would be too,
like hit too close to home.
And I do get, like, emotional.
But then I'm like,
"Oh, this is for a really good cause."
So I keep doing it.
Natasha's phenomenal.
She's a special kid.
I love giving her critiques
because I know that she's gonna nitpick
everything that I say
to make sure that it's perfect.
And I know people are like,
"Dang, she's so strict."
But I know what's coming.
I'm so excited
for the pin exchange.
It's a finalist-exclusive event.
All the kids have these pins
from different places.
- Where are you guys from?
- We're from Chicago, Illinois.
-Awesome!
-Oh!
We're doing pin exchange,
but New Orleans style,
so Mardi Gras beads.
The whole idea of having pins
is a really good one.
Especially, when you have, like,
that awkwardness
between someone
you totally don't know.
Then you can just randomly be like,
"Hey, can I have a pin?"
And the worst thing that can happen
is they say no.
- Hi.
- Hey.
I'm from Puerto Rico,
where are you from?
- I'm from Germany.
- Looks fun.
Like, just meeting these other people
from different countries is surreal.
My project is about the Olympics
and the gender differences
between men and women in the uniforms.
Oh, that's so cool.
I'm coming from Turkey.
From Thailand.
I'm from Wildwood, Florida.
I got a pin from, like, Switzerland.
I got a pin from, like, Saudi Arabia.
And there's pins from, like,
every country and every state.
I'm on a mission to find someone
from Australia.
Oh, my gosh! Those are so cute.
I draw them myself.
-You can have one from both
-No way!
Yeah, um,
I met people from Egypt, all over.
It's a lot of people.
I think this is the first time
it's kinda set in
how many people actually are at ISEF.
What's your project on?
I'm doing cancer modeling.
- I'm doing cancer Awesome!
- Yeah.
Oh!
I'm so glad to see,
like, Thailand.
Like, my family's from Thailand, I'm Thai,
so it really means a lot to see
a lot of Thai people here, too.
Oh. The elevators are
always slow on competition day
because all of the kids now
are rushing to go down.
I'm very nervous about today.
Especially 'cause I woke up late.
You know, I'm just gonna be
rushing all day.
I feel like an impostor here.
How am I going to be able to compete
against all these insane projects?
Being a performer for so long,
I've learned how to deal
with those butterfly feelings
and nerves and nervousness.
In research and in science fair,
it's the exact same thing.
When a judge approaches me,
I want them to feel the significance
and the impact of my work.
I feel nervous,
but I'm like, "It is what it is."
Like, "It's gonna go whatever way."
You can't you can't, like,
predict these things.
It's like, you just
gotta give your best talk.
But I'm ready. Kind of.
Yeah,
today is my last judging day ever.
Obviously, placing would be
at ISEF is a big deal.
So, it'd definitely be really cool.
We were supposed to be down there
five minutes ago or something.
This whole entire year led to this moment.
I'm really excited to show them
what I know.
And this time, I actually have my binders.
Competition day. Game day.
Yeah, I'm like, trying to win.
Trying to take home something, at least,
for me and Savdiel.
Puerto Rico!
Everything was a bit topsy-turvy
'cause last night we, uh,
slept kind of late
uh, practicing and practicing.
So this morning, we were just
all over the place trying to get here.
I'm a little more nervous
this year.
I have a new intro.
What? Don't change your intro.
What?
I try not to psych myself out too much.
But of course, you can't help but think
about what kind of questions
the judges could ask you.
God bless us
and send your Holy Spirit
to shine upon our face.
The exhibit hall has opened.
That means we can go in for judging.
The science fair competitions
offer the students scholarships
and straight cash.
The ISEF top prize is $75,000,
second prize, $50,000.
It's a lot of money for a 17-year-old.
I'm feeling pretty relaxed
now that I'm here
and like, in my little cage.
I'm, like, really freaking out.
I feel like I'm gonna cry. Like, it's bad.
Okay, don't cry. No crying.
It's gonna happen. Oh, my God.
Yeah. I don't know.
Maybe it's 'cause I haven't cried yet?
Oh, there it is. It's happening. Yeah.
ISEF judges look at the value
and originality of each research topic.
They're also sizing up
research methodology
and scientific analysis.
Presenting skills and board appearance
also weigh heavily in the final rank.
These judges,
they're PhDs in the field
of the student's project.
So if you can tango with that person,
you know your stuff.
You should win.
Either you were great
and the judges saw it,
or you're maybe more average
and maybe you don't know the science.
Um, so
Give me a sec.
I just want to wait for the time.
No, that's fair. That's fair.
Hello. Nice to meet you.
- Nice meeting you.
- My name's Natasha.
What inspired me to do this project
was that I noticed
that a significant amount
of suicide studies focused on
I definitely think that
it could be used for other species,
but like, the parameters are definitely,
like, specific
But why should I care
about these birds?
These talks are weird.
They're more, like, conversational.
You're talking and then you get
interrupted 'cause there's a question.
So it, it feels like
I'm all, like, discombobulated
and then, like, I forget what I'm saying.
I engineered a reed biofuel
to serve as a main source
of fuel in Zimbabwe.
So, we're moving more
towards electric vehicles,
but then we're using these
unsustainable rare-earth materials.
I made a new type of electric motor.
So, now I wanna actually
characterize the genomic role
of contractions in cancer
and compare them to other diseases.
We know that false positives exist
in this set.
Do you know the percent
in false positives?
- I'm about to tell you that.
- Okay.
I actually created three solutions
that were all successful
to eliminate excessive nutrients
in the water.
It has a disulfide bridge
so it has extra stability and support.
You're saying nobody
has done this before?
Good luck with everything.
Hope you win.
Thank you so much.
Take care of yourself. Have a nice day.
And my study thus prevents
suicidal behavior as well.
And that's what the suicide field needs.
My last judge wasn't good.
- Olivia.
- Am I crying? I can't even feel it.
Why is everything so funny?
I think you're just exhausted,
Olivia.
Whoo!
Yeah, we're done. We finished.
It feels really good.
-Like, it's great to just
-Bittersweet.
Ah!
This is the last science fair
I'm ever gonna do!
There were some questions I missed.
I know I missed, but
I got the story out
and the story was really engaging
and seemed to capture a lot of the judges.
I feel like today was not really my day.
Like, it was definitely not
my best performance,
which is a shame
'cause you are supposed to peak at ISEF.
I want sleep. I'm done. I'm tired.
I've never been
to an aquarium before.
This is my first time
and I'm really excited.
Look at the white fish.
Oh my gosh, it's so cool! It's so ugly.
I think if I didn't love science,
my life would be boring.
Because I did science fair,
I know what I'm going to do
and I know it's something
that I'm going to love.
Getting around that rock.
As an overall life goal,
I wanna continue making things.
I wanna change the world
with new technologies.
To be able to do that,
I think would be the dream.
Nothing's going to stop
these students.
So what we just need is to keep on
supporting them in whatever way we can
so that they will make it to the top
and then they will support
the future generations.
Whoa!
When we go to these fairs,
it's like entering a different world.
Talking to the other students from
different countries, different regions,
with different problems
that they're also trying to solve.
It's just a different kind of inspiration.
It's like, first-hand inspiration.
We know what comes out
of science fairs.
We get new technologies, we get new drugs,
we get new computational processes
that'll help us diagnose disease
from kids.
These kids are gonna
truly change the world.
Good luck. Okay?
Good luck, ladies. Good luck, good luck.
I didn't purposefully say,
"This is the best group I've ever seen."
Because if you build them up,
when they go in there,
they're gonna fall so far down.
Some of the teachers are like,
"Aw, but everybody gets a prize."
But in real life,
everybody doesn't get a prize.
Here we are,
at the International Science
and Engineering Fair
Grand Awards Ceremony!
You have participated in the largest
science competition in the world.
So congratulations
to each and every one of you.
Grand Awards
are presented in each of
the 21 categories at ISEF
and come with cash prizes.
Top Awards are selected from among
the first place category award winners
and include larger cash prizes
and opportunities to advance
their research and education.
The very top award is $75,000
and the title of "Best in Fair."
I'm not expecting to place because I know
the competition here is top-notch.
I don't think I have any chance
to get any awards,
but following your passions
is how you do great things.
Ladies and gentlemen,
honored guests and finalists,
the time has come.
We will proceed category in order,
presenting fourth, third,
and second place winners together.
The first place awards
will be presented separately.
And the top awards
will conclude today's program.
In the category
of Biochemistry,
the fourth place award winners are
In the category of
Biomedical and Health Sciences,
third place award winners are
In the category of Chemistry
Plant sciences
Physics and Astronomy
Mathematics
The second place award winners
The fourth place award winners
The third place award winners are
What's going through my mind is, like,
really rapid, very loud, screaming.
But on the exterior,
I'm just trying to survive.
In the category
of Animal Sciences,
the fourth place award winners are
from Monte Vista, Colorado,
Marissa Lilianna Martinez.
Oh, my God!
I'm so shook. I don't know,
I feel, like, complete.
I feel like all the hard work that I did,
I'm being rewarded for that now,
and it's really, really cool.
In the category
of Plant Sciences,
the fourth place award winners are
from Merritt Island, Florida,
Erin Catherine Gaydar.
Let's go, Erin!
I didn't think I was gonna get anything.
I mean, you're against the whole world.
So pretty awesome.
In the category
of Environmental Engineering,
Chloe Rebecca Hindes.
Oh!
It's definitely a confidence boost.
- Congrats!
- Congrats.
I tend to downplay everything I do, like,
"Oh, yeah, it's not that great."
I mean, "it sounds like it's cool
but it's not really anything."
But now I realize that
it actually is really cool,
and I actually did something great.
In the category of
Behavioral and Social Sciences,
from Jericho, New York, Natasha Kulviwat.
Whoo!
I've always dreamed of walking
across the ISEF stage.
That was really nice.
Because I didn't think I'd get an award.
It's never gonna get better than this.
From Midland, Michigan,
Olivia Jean Wagner.
It's nice to be a part of
the family ISEF tradition of winning,
but I think that the most important thing
is fighting for these rights for women,
and that people will back me
and support my project.
It's really inspiring.
In the category of Energy,
Sustainable Materials, and Design,
from Harare, Zimbabwe,
Memory Panashe Bvungo.
Memory!
We won! Team Z won! We did it.
I can't believe what was a dream
a few moments ago is actually happening.
And they got second place which is like
it's a lot, it's a lot.
I don't wanna cry, but
for a girl to get second place
from Zimbabwe, and third?
It's incredible.
I'm still, like, in shock
and I'm very emotional
because we all made it.
I'm so proud
of our young scientists,
and uh and emotional, yeah.
To think of the challenges we had for them
to get here and how they just shined.
Now, onto the announcement
of our first place awards
given to those individuals and teams
that our judges deemed
the best in each category.
The first place award winner
in Cellular and Molecular Biology is
from Auburn, Alabama,
Shivani Ruk Babu.
From Garden City, New York,
James Nagler.
From Dammam, Saudi Arabia,
Abdulaziz Al-Ghamdi.
From Woodlands, Texas, Sohi Sanjay Patel.
Endrick, Kevin, and Robert
have not received awards,
which could mean two things.
Either they won first place
or nothing at all.
The first place award winners
in Computational Biology
and Bioinformatics are
from Nakhon Pathom, Thailand,
Pawit Kaewnuratchadasorn,
Nattawin Yamprasert,
Wutthipong Chongchareansanti.
And from Jericho, New York, Kevin Zhu.
Yes! Yes!
Kevin!
Oh, my God!
Whoo!
So relieved.
Uh, it was so stressful that
Waiting af especially after fourth,
third, and second were called,
just waiting
for first place to get called, so
It was a really, really nice feeling.
This means the world to me.
The first place award winners
in Biomedical Engineering are
from Istanbul, Turkey, Emirhan Kurtulus,
and from Portland, Oregon,
Rishab Kumar Jain.
Still fairly proud because
somebody from my island actually won.
It is not about me only,
it's about our whole delegation.
I'm emotional right now.
For me, you are a big winner.
So my main winner. Yes.
The first place award winners
in Engineering Technology, Statics,
and Dynamics are
from Fort Pierce, Florida,
Robert Nicholas Sansone.
Congratulations. Great job.
Thank you.
When they announced fourth through second,
I was like, "Well, I either did
really good or really bad.
I don't We'll see."
And now, our final presentation,
the George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award,
which recognizes the best of the best
among the outstanding students
from around the world
who participate in ISEF.
The winner of the $75,000,
George D. Yancopoulos
Innovator Award is
A science fair competition
that started
with more than 30 million students
has now been whittled down
to category winners,
each now eligible for
the "Best in Fair" award.
For Kevin, whose science fair journey
started with disappointment,
winning ISEF and the $75,000 award
would be sweet validation.
And for Robert, the son of an
air-conditioning repairman,
it would put him one step closer
to his dream of getting to MIT.
The winner of the $75,000
George D. Yancopoulos
Innovator Award is
in the category of Engineering Technology,
Statics and Dynamics,
from Fort Pierce, Florida,
Robert Sansone!
Thank you!
Yes!
Thank you.
Oh, look at his smile!
He never smiles like that.
I'm holding it together.
I just I did it.
I won the International Science Fair.
Congratulations.
How are you feeling?
Absolutely amazing.
You have a great project
that could change the world. I'm sure.
It's real, I promise.
There's like a million things
coming your way.
Even when they bring you backstage,
there's people talking to you
and there's cameras
and there's people asking you questions
and doing all these things.
- Straight on, or
- Face towards me.
My face was, like, numb.
Like, that's never happened before.
There's so many people,
you know, congratulating.
It says, "We have folks around the school
cheering for you."
In the category
of Engineering Technology,
Statics and Dynamics,
from Fort Pierce
Robert! Robert! Robert!
Robert! Robert! Robert!
Robby, you did it!
I'm so proud of you, buddy.
We knew you could do it. This is your
- World champion.
- All right!
Oh, my gosh.
I just want to thank everyone
graduating here today.
We're so happy you're here,
and you have proved
that you can do anything.
We have gone through so many struggles,
and, you know,
we pulled it off flawlessly.
Whoa!
Each and every one of us
has grown into someone amazing.
We are the class
of twenty twenty-th two
Catch you on the rebound.
I'm seeing the future ♪
I'm seeing the future through the past ♪
Been watching the sunset ♪
Been watching the sun set way too fast ♪
Can't help but wonder
if there are better ways to get ♪
On with the upward ♪
Get higher and higher ♪
Yes!
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪
I submitted my MIT application
in November.
You know, then the day came
of the decision.
Let's do it. Status update.
Gotta give it up! ♪
Whoo! Yes! Yes! Yes! Whoo!
Yes!
Yes! Come, come, come, come on!
Gotta give it up! ♪
I wanted to go
to MIT since sixth grade
and I put an insane amount of work
into my ISEF project,
and that work is a subset of all the work
that I put in to get into MIT.
On with the upward,
get on with the upward ♪
Gotta give it up! ♪