Hockessin’s Martin Kurian talks about science with the same enthusiasm other teens save for Xbox 360.
The 14-year-old was named Delaware’s sole semifinalist in the 12th annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a competition that challenges students to produce informational videos on scientific topics.
“Practically everything that we have is made by science,” Kurian said. “Without it, our lives would be very different.”
Ten finalists will be selected in early August and the winners will go head-to-head at a science competition in New York. As one of 47 semifinalists from as many states, Kurian won $250, a plaque and the chance to compete on a national stage.
Kurian, who feels his chances are as good as any of his competition, made his winning video about the science of cold and flu prevention.
The most fun part of making the video was the editing process, he said, and being in front of the camera made him feel a little bit like an actor in a movie.
The two-minute film shows Kurian demonstrating proper hand-washing techniques, warning about the bacteria-forming potential of wet carpet and even explaining the science behind disinfectant sprays.
“I learned that small things could really add up and make a big difference,” he said.
Take hand washing, for instance. Rubbing soapy hands together for 20 seconds – basically the time it takes to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ – is much more effective at killing bacteria than a quick dip under running water, Kurian said. And those extra seconds could keep someone from getting sick.
But Kurian, who will be a freshman at Charter School of Wilmington, isn’t keen on pursuing a career in medical science. He’d rather be an engineer, he said, since he likes to build things.
Both his parents are scientists, so his interest in the subject is likely no accident, he said. However, it’s his favorite subject in school for more reasons than he could count.
“In science, there’s no one concrete way of doing something,” he said.
