The Boy Who Wouldn't Take No For An Answer
What do you do after 199 people tell you no?
Dig deeper
Quarky is writing this for you...
The story
Fifteen-year-old Jack Andraka read about a protein that shows up early in pancreatic cancer and sketched a paper sensor to detect it, using carbon nanotubes and antibodies. He emailed 200 laboratories asking for space to test it. One hundred ninety-nine said no. The two-hundredth said yes, and his prototype won the top science fair prize in 2012.
What you'll learn
- Antibodies stick to one specific target, so they can act as detectors.
- Carbon nanotubes conduct electricity, and the change can be measured.
- Early ideas are prototypes that still need years of testing.
- Kid takeaway: one yes is enough, so keep asking after the no's.
Comments (0)
- Be the first to say something nice!
Up next
4:44
Kid Inventors · Ep 1
The Boy Who Invented Reading With Your Fingers
How do you fit a whole alphabet under one fingertip?
4:40
Kid Inventors · Ep 5
The Girl Who Turned Orange Peels Into Rain
Can fruit peel help a farm survive a drought?
