Budding geniuses: Celebrating the science behind magic boots

Young scientists compete to represent Pakistan at Intel ISEF next year

KARACHI:

Are you interested in boots that could help you keep cool in the scorching Karachi summers? If yes, put your money on Nauman Muhammad Ahsan, a student of grade XII at the Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, whose project featuring a pair of temperature-regulating boots captured the attention of judges at the closing ceremony of Sindh Science Fair on Thursday.

The fair was held at St Patrick's High School as a run-up to the Intel® International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) - one of the largest pre-college science competitions in the world, scheduled to be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, next year in May.

Ahsan's project, Human Heat Sink, was among 14 others that were declared the best out of 249 projects presented at the fair. As many as 470 young scientists from across the province submitted their projects in the following categories: biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics and physics.

In the second phase of the competition, the winners from all provinces will compete at the National Science Fair in Islamabad next year in January. This will be the final run-up to the Intel® ISEF.

Intel Pakistan country manager Naveed Siraj said around seven million high school students from all over the world participate in the ISEF each year. "They are asked to develop innovative research projects and present their work at local science competitions."



The brains behind the best projects - nearly 1,800 students from 70 countries each year - are invited to participate in a week-long celebration of science, technology, engineering, and math. These young innovators are encouraged to share ideas, showcase cutting-edge research, and compete for more than $5 million in awards and scholarships.

Siraj said local and international events are a great platform for the youth, academically and socially. They are encouraged to interact with one another during the mixers and ceremonies. This helps them gain confidence and offers valuable experience, he said.

Ahsan, the brain behind the magic boots, told The Express Tribune that he started out looking for a way to curb the rising number of deaths due to heat-related illnesses. "In adverse environmental conditions, these shoes could serve as a heat sink and draw heat right out of your shoes."

The idea is to place a small thermoelectric cooler at the base of each boot, he elaborated. The boots then act as a cooling device for feet, lowering the body temperature in the process. He said the device consumed only six watts of power and cost Rs5,000 to make.

Another winning project, developed by a group of students of Defence Authority Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed College, aimed to provide a cheap means for people suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to communicate with other. "The plan was to make a cost-effective device which could eventually replace the currently available expensive speech generating devices for patients of ALS," Haris Bin Ashraf, the project head, explained.

Among the proud winners is Syed Talal Wasim, also a student of grade XII at Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, who has worked hard on developing a project to control mechanical devices using biological signals. Wasim recalls that none of his toys had ever survived the test of curiosity or his habit of tinkering with them.

"All we [Pakistani students] need is a platform to demonstrate our abilities," said Wasim. These science fairs not only help us get our projects evaluated but also provide opportunities to meet professionals who can mentor us, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2014.