Intle prizes

Intel prizes. Projects in space science, chemistry, and behavioral and social sciences took the grand prizes in this year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world’s largest pre-college science competition. More than 1400 high-school students from 45 countries made it to the finals, which were held in May in Phoenix, Arizona.

Gabrielle Gianelli, 17, of Orlando, Florida, had the most physics-related project of the three top winners. By applying fractal geometry to a topographic map of Mars, she identified a possible ancient coastline. The other top prizes went to Ameen Abdulrasool, 18, of Chicago, Illinois, for developing a navigational system for the blind that combines GPS technology with verbal, directional, and vibrational signals, and to Stephen Schultz, 19, of Gelsenkirchen, Germany, for his electrochemical analysis of flavonoids, radical inhibitors that may combat cancer and other diseases. Each won a $50 000 college scholarship and other prizes.

These and other Intel prizes, plus a slew of awards by other sponsors given out through the science fair, totaled $3 million.