Today, let’s talk about an amazing young scientist and inventor named Gitanjali Rao. She’s from the United States and is only a teenager, but she’s already making a big difference with her inventions. Gitanjali has won awards, appeared on TV, and even been named 'Kid of the Year' by TIME magazine. Let’s dive into her story and see how she’s changing the world!
1. Who is Gitanjali Rao?
Gitanjali Rao is an inventor, scientist, and a real-life superhero for young people who love science! She was born in 2005 and lives in Colorado, USA. Even as a young girl, she was curious about how things worked and loved exploring new ideas. Now, she’s using her curiosity to solve big problems that affect people all around the world.
She’s worked on lots of projects and has invented some amazing devices. But what makes her really special is that she cares about helping people and making the world a better place.
2. Tackling Water Pollution with Her First Invention
Gitanjali’s first invention was called Tethys, a device to detect lead in drinking water. This idea came to her when she heard about water pollution in Flint, Michigan. In Flint, people found out that their drinking water was contaminated with lead, a dangerous metal that can make people very sick, especially children.
Most people test water for lead with expensive equipment that takes a long time, but Gitanjali wanted to create something faster and easier. She invented Tethys, which uses a special sensor and connects to a phone app to show if water is safe or not. This invention won her the *Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge* when she was only 11 years old!
3. Fighting Cyberbullying with the 'Kindly' App
After creating Tethys, Gitanjali started thinking about another big problem—cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is when people say mean things to others online, and it can really hurt people’s feelings. Gitanjali wanted to help kids feel safer and happier online, so she invented an app called 'Kindly'.
Kindly uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect mean or hurtful words in a text message or chat. When someone starts typing something unkind, the app gives them a gentle reminder to stop and think about their words. This way, kids can learn to be kinder online and avoid hurting each other. Isn’t that awesome?
4. Gitanjali’s Work on COVID-19
When COVID-19 hit, Gitanjali didn’t sit back. She started thinking about ways she could help. She began working on ways to detect COVID-19 quickly, so people could get tested more easily. Gitanjali’s projects are always about solving real-world problems, and this was her way of helping during a difficult time for the whole world.
5. Inspiring Young Scientists Everywhere
One of Gitanjali’s biggest goals is to inspire kids like you to become inventors and scientists. She wants everyone to know that you don’t have to be an adult to make a difference - you can start right now! She’s even created a special workshop to teach other kids how to think like an inventor. She calls it the Innovation Workshop, where she shares tips on how to brainstorm ideas, research, and build inventions.
Gitanjali also talks a lot about how it’s okay to make mistakes. She says failure is just part of learning. So, if you’re ever working on a project and it doesn’t go right the first time, remember that even amazing inventors like Gitanjali have had to keep trying!
6. Awards and Honours
Because of her amazing work, Gitanjali has received lots of awards. In 2020, she was named TIME magazine’s first-ever 'Kid of the Year'. She’s been invited to speak at conferences, appeared on TV shows, and even talked with famous people, including Malala Yousafzai and Michelle Obama! But even with all this fame, Gitanjali stays focused on what really matters: helping others and making the world a better place.