Did you know, I was able to find something to celebrate every single day of the year. Whether it was an official, national holiday such as the recent “MLK Day,” or the upcoming global celebration, “World Religion Day,” or made up fun holidays such as “Festivus;” there is something to celebrate each and every day. Today, January 17th, is set aside to celebrate kid inventors and we’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to a few of the most amazing young ladies whose inventions have, or will, change the world! So, slice a piece of cake and “Let’s Celebrate!”
- According to Scientific American, “about 1.5 billion, or a quarter of the world’s population” do not have access to electricity. (November 2009) Therefore, these individuals are using some fuel source, on an individual level, to heat, cook, and see. Combine that statistic with areas that are hit by natural disasters that knock out electricity and the number of individuals in need of an alternative source of power goes up. Four young ladies from Nigeria, 14-year-olds Duro-Aina Adebola, Akindele Abiola, and Faleke Oluwatoyin, and 15-year-old Bello Eniola have come up with a generator that uses a cheap, widely accessible, fuel source: urine. Yes, it’s kind of gross, but in regions where electricity is either not present or highly irregular, this generator that converts a waste product into energy AND clean water, is worth its weight!
- In addition to the lack of access to electricity, WaterAid estimates that “844 million people don’t clean water.” Enter Deepika Kurup with her water purification invention. Deepika, of New Hampshire, was 14 when she figured out a way to use a sunlight-powered reaction to clean contaminated water. Once the water has completed its cycle, it is clean enough to drink. Now areas of the world can easily harness the power of the sun to ensure clean drinking water for their population.
- Plastic is a relatively new product that increases in production and use year after year and most of it ends up contaminating the environment. In a recent article in Time, “83% of tap water samples collected from over a dozen countries on five continents tested positive for microplastic.” According to Environmental Health News, “Biodegradable plastics have the potential to solve a number of waste-management issues, especially for disposable packaging that cannot be easily separated from organic waste in catering or from agricultural applications.” Elif Bilgin, a from Istanbul, Turkey, at age 16 created a formula for plastic that used the starch and cellulose from banana peel.
Want further ideas on how to celebrate this noteworthy day? Visit The Kid’s Inventors website for some basic ideas or you can use some of the ideas present on the Days of the Year website:
“If you have children, Kid Inventors’ Day could easily turn out to be one of the most educational and at the same time fun days you’ve ever spent together. Children’s minds are yet unlimited by the knowledge of what’s possible and what’s not, and as sometimes just believing that something is possible is enough to make it so, you may be truly astounded at the ideas your children come up with. Who knows, perhaps you are unwittingly living under the same roof as a potential Ben Franklin? The Kid Inventors’ Day website also offers plenty of fun ideas on how to spend this day creatively and productively, such as taking part in a rubber band contest for young inventors. If you live nearby a museum, Kid Inventors’ Day is also the perfect day to take your children there to look at all of the amazing things people have made over the ages that can serve as inspiration to them.”
And as they put it, “However you decide to spend this day, be sure to raise awareness about how much children can achieve and encourage them to reach for the stars!” Happy Kid Inventors’ Day!!
