BENGALURU: Explaining advanced scientific concepts to a lay audience is a challenging task even for experts. However, the Breakthrough Junior Prize 2018-winning video by Bengaluru boy Samay Godika is an example of how complicated scientific topics can be introduced to the general public.
The 16-year old Samay, an eleventh standard student at National Public School, Koramangala, is the first Indian to win the prize which carries a total value of US $400,000 — $ 250,000 for the winner, $ 50,000 for his teacher and $100,000 to set up a state-of-the-art Breakthrough Science Lab at the school.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, his biology teacher Pramila Menon noted how his perseverance won him the top prize at the competition, a feat which he had come close to winning a year ago. Samay, who is interested in neuro-sciences and degenerative diseases, had submitted a video on autophagy, a mechanism in which cells remove unnecessary components from within them, for the competition last year. “He was among the last 15 in the contest held in 2017 and had also secured the popular vote for his video on autophagy. As soon as the results of 2017 was announced, Samay was on it again looking for a topic to make a video and win the top prize the next year,” Pramila said.
The annual prize is given for the best video explaining a “big scientific idea in fundamental physics, life sciences or mathematics in a short video’ of less than three minutes. During his research, he stumbled across circadian rhythms which he realised was connected to asthma, which he himself is suffering from. “After he selected his topic, I helped him out with the biology part of the topic after which he did the video himself,” she said.
Both of Samay’s parents are engineers and all of them are currently in the United States to receive the award and are expected to be back by Saturday, she said. “Samay is just absolutely thrilled that he will be meeting all his role models,” she added.
When contacted, K P Gopalkrishna, the founder chairman of National Public School expressed happiness over the Samay’s achievement adding that the school provided all the required tools for students to excel in
various fields.
The award is given away by The Breakthrough Prize Foundation, which was founded by Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg among others.