Fort Mac teen wins international science prize
Posted December 8, 2020 7:46 am.
Last Updated December 8, 2020 7:47 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
FORT MCMURRAY (660 NEWS) – An Alberta teen is getting some international recognition.
Maryam Tsegaye is a Fort McMurray high school student who recently became the first Canadian to win the Breakthrough Junior Challenge.
She won because of her three-minute video talking about quantum tunnelling.
“Little elementary particles can walk through walls but I can’t because my body is made up of more than a quadrillion of these quantum objects and the odds of all of them tunnelling through the wall is practically impossible,” Tsegaye said in her video.
The challenge is an annual global science video competition, showcasing young people’s knowledge of science and scientific principles in a variety of fields.
It was first awarded in 2015.
Tsegaye tells The Globe and Mail the pandemic gave her more time to put together the video for the competition.
“Quantum physics makes it seems like the world is playing cheat codes on us, but it isn’t, it’s how the universe works. Maybe the quantum world is telling us that when faced with an obstacle, there’s a small chance we can defy expectations and reach barriers.”
The Breakthrough Junior Challenge prize consists of a $250,000 Post-secondary scholarship, a $50,000 prize for Tsegaye’s teacher and a $100,000 science lab for her school.
