Physics

Student from Mauritius’ Explanation of Molecular Forces Wins Breakthrough Junior Challenge

Student from Mauritius’ Explanation of Molecular Forces Wins Breakthrough Junior Challenge

Amber Kwok, 18, of Mauritius, won the sixth annual Breakthrough Junior Challenge. The competition asks 13 to 18-year-olds to submit a three-minute movie illustrating a topic or theory in biological sciences, physics, or maths. 

The Van Der Waals Forces and the Casimir Effect are explained in a great video prepared by Kwok. The Breakthrough Junior Challenge will award Kwok, her instructor, and her school a total of $400,000. Amber has awarded a $250,000 college scholarship and will begin her studies at Stanford University in the autumn of 2022. Shastri Doorgah, her science instructor, will get a $50,000 reward. Her school will receive a $100,000 state-of-the-art science lab.

“I first discovered about the Breakthrough Junior Challenge via Khan Academy and was immediately enthralled by the concept of communicating science through video,” Kwok stated in a news release obtained by IFLScience. 

“I think that science has the potential to deepen our understanding of the universe’s secrets and to assist us in developing imaginative answers to today’s global concerns. For me, winning the Challenge is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next and taking advantage of the many great chances it will provide.”

Kwok’s entry, which may be viewed below, uses real-life examples and unique animations. Since 2015, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge has drawn over 3,400 applications, with brilliant teens coming up with inventive methods to give captivating scientific explanations.

This year was also the first time a separate submission area dedicated to space exploration was available. Next January 5, the winner of the highest-scoring Space Exploration video will announce.

Students ages 13 to 18 invited to make unique movies (up to three minutes in duration) that highlighted a topic or theory in the biological sciences, physics, or mathematics for the seventh year. Participants have the option of entering a unique submission area centered on Space Exploration for this year’s competition. On January 5, the winner of the highest-scoring Space Exploration Video will announce.

By June 25, students from all across the world had submitted their films. The field was limited to 30 semifinalists in September after two rounds of judging – first, an obligatory peer review, then an evaluation panel. The public invited to vote for their favorite semifinalist submission by “liking,” “sharing,” or posting a positive reaction on the Breakthrough Prize Facebook page, where the public was invited to vote for their favorite semifinalist submission by “liking,” “sharing,” or posting a positive reaction. The 30 films together reached almost 12 million people on the Breakthrough Prize Facebook page throughout the 15-day event, helping to teach and inspire minds all across the world.