Intel Science Competition - finalists

by Marathadi-Saamiyaar Sat Feb 04, 2012 1:30 pm

..As usual, a high number of Desis.

I always wondered, reading the titles whether these kids are for real, and whether they could really do such research projects.

I know one kid personally and the parents, who come from a stupendous family (Just called them and congratulated). That kid at 10 tagged along with dad to office/work all the time. So, I guess even education follows the Vanashrama Dharma.

by MulaiAzhagi Sat Feb 04, 2012 5:32 pm

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:..As usual, a high number of Desis.

I always wondered, reading the titles whether these kids are for real, and whether they could really do such research projects.

I know one kid personally and the parents, who come from a stupendous family (Just called them and congratulated). That kid at 10 tagged along with dad to office/work all the time. So, I guess even education follows the Vanashrama Dharma.

===> These guys would have gotten help from their parents and teachers.

BTW if you learn all these high level stuff in high school itself, what is left to study in college?

How is that someone from a village in TN who studied B.Sc and M.Sc in the local college comes here to America and gets a Ph.D from a top university? Did he or she participate in any Science project there?

by Marathadi-Saamiyaar Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:28 pm

MulaiAzhagi wrote:
Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:..As usual, a high number of Desis.

I always wondered, reading the titles whether these kids are for real, and whether they could really do such research projects.

I know one kid personally and the parents, who come from a stupendous family (Just called them and congratulated). That kid at 10 tagged along with dad to office/work all the time. So, I guess even education follows the Vanashrama Dharma.

===> These guys would have gotten help from their parents and teachers.

BTW if you learn all these high level stuff in high school itself, what is left to study in college?

How is that someone from a village in TN who studied B.Sc and M.Sc in the local college comes here to America and gets a Ph.D from a top university? Did he or she participate in any Science project there?

You are right. The env is an important - very important - factor. I know for a fact that this kid has access to everything that a PhD student has and access to a whole line of top researchers. Also, it is not surprising to see his project title.

But, these are the kids - and the ones that actively participated in the whole process (all 4000 of them) are almost sure to have had solid exposure to research and likely go towards PhD in the top US schools. A great way to develop the next generation of motivated researchers. If India also sincerely and SERIOUSLY start something like this, that will be a great development (of course, politicos will mess it up with quota crap).

by Kris Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:51 pm

Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:
MulaiAzhagi wrote:
Marathadi-Saamiyaar wrote:..As usual, a high number of Desis.

I always wondered, reading the titles whether these kids are for real, and whether they could really do such research projects.

I know one kid personally and the parents, who come from a stupendous family (Just called them and congratulated). That kid at 10 tagged along with dad to office/work all the time. So, I guess even education follows the Vanashrama Dharma.

You are right. The env is an important - very important - factor. I know for a fact that this kid has access to everything that a PhD student has and access to a whole line of top researchers. Also, it is not surprising to see his project title.

But, these are the kids - and the ones that actively participated in the whole process (all 4000 of them) are almost sure to have had solid exposure to research and likely go towards PhD in the top US schools. A great way to develop the next generation of motivated researchers. If India also sincerely and SERIOUSLY start something like this, that will be a great development (of course, politicos will mess it up with quota crap).

>>>> I just got back a little while ago from a silicon valley (private) school. My younger son participates in some deal where they throw problems at them from different areas - science, politics, whathaveyou..You are supposed to come up with solutions. The idea is to expose them to problems and encourage out-of-the-box thinking and this is at the junior high level. He is the only one from a public school, the rest go to the school that sponsors this. All these kids are either indian or chinese and pay about $30-40 grand a year in school fees. So, they are motivated at home and have the best resources at school. Equally importantly, they don't have much time for distractions and are focused. My son has been able to hold his own, because of street smarts, but has pretty much said he doesn't want to go after this round. Honestly, I think if the environment cannot be created (which this private school does for the other kids) your heart is just not in it, even with all other things being equal.

by Marathadi-Saamiyaar Sat Feb 04, 2012 10:52 pm

Kris wrote:

>>>> I just got back a little while ago from a silicon valley (private) school. My younger son participates in some deal where they throw problems at them from different areas - science, politics, whathaveyou.. Honestly, I think if the environment cannot be created (which this private school does for the other kids) your heart is just not in it, even with all other things being equal.

Reminds me of the saying you are what you are friends are.... I will extrapolate this to "you kids are what their friends are"

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Intel Science Competition - finalists

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