# High School Science competition winners that actually take their work to practics **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 28, 2023, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-science-competition-winners-that-actually-take-their-work-to-practics/987732 "2023-07-28T14:58:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-science-competition-winners-that-actually-take-their-work-to-practics/987732/1 "2023-07-28T14:58:30Z")
We occasionally hear of big fancy well funded science competitions that announce some kid has invented a wonderful device or research that will make a big splash. Then…nothing…I can’t think of any high school winning ‘science fair’ project at the national level in recent years that made popular press…and actually resulted in the promise being fulfilled. There may be various reasons for it, but I’d like to know if any kid who won one of these competitions ever saw it result in a significant product or improvement. There’s gotta be some, but is seems like the vast majority of these just make the news one day never to be heard of again. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-science-competition-winners-that-actually-take-their-work-to-practics/987732/2 "2023-07-28T16:01:39Z")
Here’s one who is working on it: > **[An Iowa high schooler invented an infection-detecting suture. Now she’s a CEO.](https://www.desmoinesregister.com/in-depth/news/2023/03/19/dasia-taylor-iowa-usa-today-women-year/69708342007/)** > > 'I'm not your average science kid,' says Dasia Taylor, 19-year-old CEO of VariegateHealth. 'Historically, I'm not supposed to accomplish any of this.' ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-science-competition-winners-that-actually-take-their-work-to-practics/987732/3 "2023-07-28T16:01:59Z")
Related, though not quite the same since he couldn’t afford to attend high school and lives in an area where things like science fairs are thin on the ground: > **[African Teen Builds Windmills from Junk and Supplies His Village with...](https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/20756/20190425/african-teen-builds-windmills-from-junk-and-supplies-his-village-with-electricity.htm)** > > Malawian teen taught himself how to build a windmill from library books. His native Malawi had gone through one of its worst droughts seven years ago, killing thousands. > **[Moving Windmills - Inspiring Innovation - Moving Windmills Project](https://movingwindmills.org/)** > > \[et\_pb\_section fb\_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” admin\_label=”Top Banner” \_builder\_version=”4.16″ global\_colors\_info=”{}”\]\[et\_pb\_fullwidth\_header button\_one\_text=”Get Updates” button\_one\_url=”#popup” button\_two\_text=”Help Support”... ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2023, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-science-competition-winners-that-actually-take-their-work-to-practics/987732/4 "2023-07-28T18:22:29Z")
Not sure if this works as its too early to tell. Infection detecting sutures through a pH change hasn’t been shown to work yet. Yes, she’s a CEO of her company, but I think her celebrity lies in who she is, rather than a breakthrough in a new scientific or medical product