Scientists of the Past a Living Inspiration for Young Scholars

Given the opportunity, which living or dead scientist would you most like to know, and why?

That question was posed to the 40 national finalists from 17 states who met here recently to share $140,000 in scholarship and cash awards in the 47th annual Westinghouse Science Talent Search.

The 26 boys and 14 girls are all high school seniors whose independent research projects in science and mathematics were adjudged the most outstanding among 1,339 entries by an independent board of eight scientists.

The overwhelming majority of winners opted for scientists who are no longer living. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Sigmund Freud, John Dalton and Leonardo da Vinci were among those named.

Slightly more than 25% cited physicist Albert Einstein, whose theory of relativity revolutionized much of science, while Sir Isaac Newton, formulator of the laws of gravity and the elements of differential calculus, ranked a close second, with 23% of the students mentioning him.

The brilliance and genius of both men were noted repeatedly. Inspiration, mind-probing and learning more were the primary reasons for wanting to know them.

More subtle reasons were expressed as well. For example, Scott Ryder, 18-year-old senior at Edison High School in Fresno, most admires Einstein “because he never let a challenge beat him.”

Ryder received a $1,000 cash award for designing and building a working gauge that measures the number, size and velocity of raindrops, which he believes meteorologists can use for earlier severe storm warning and farmers for field verification of spray irrigators.

The recipient of more than 20 science and engineering awards in regional and international competitions, Ryder also has varsity letters in swimming and water polo. After study at Stanford University, he plans a career in space research.

Humility Admired

Einstein’s philosophical and humanistic values appeal most to Todd Duncan, 18, first in his class at Bettendorf High School in Iowa, who added, “I also admire his humility and sincerity in his search for understanding.”

Duncan, whose hobbies include writing poems and short stories, received a $1,000 cash award for a project in astronomy. Winner of many science and sports competitions, he hopes to attend Caltech to prepare for a career as a theoretical physicist or astronomer.

Vijay S. Pande, 17, senior at Langley High School in McLean, Va., disagreed with the students who selected Einstein, insisting, “Newton was the greatest physicist, even greater than Einstein. While Einstein could build upon the work of many others, Newton single-handedly discovered and proved many physical phenomena vital to our understanding of today’s world--and he invented calculus to do it.”

Pande simulated a space-based laser ballistic missile defense, which netted him the fourth-place $10,000 scholarship. He plays piano and violin, sings, writes songs and enjoys design. After study at either Harvard or Princeton, he hopes to be a research physicist.

In agreement was Hsin-Chao Liao, 17, of Corona, N.Y., a senior at Brooklyn Technical High School, who is planning to study computer science at MIT.

“Newton could teach me physics and calculus and I could teach him all about computers,” he pointed out.

Examined Unsolved Problem

For his winning entry, Liao, captain of his school’s senior mathematics and computer teams, examined an unsolved problem in mathematics. Hobbies of the youth, who was born in the Republic of China, include chess, puzzles, Ping-Pong and paper folding.

Female scientists were not ignored. Meredith Albrecht, 17, selected Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell as the scientist she would most like to have known “because of her persistence in the face of adversity.” After much opposition Blackwell became the first woman physician in 1849.

For her examination of the thermal properties of a composite material, Albrecht received the 10th-place $7,500 scholarship. A winner of many mathematics and science awards, she is also active in church affairs and enjoys horseback riding. After graduation from Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Ill., she plans to attend Northwestern University and earn a joint engineering-medical degree.

A woman was the only living scientist to be named by any of the winners.

Oceanographer Sylvia Earle was the choice of Stacey Beaulieu “because she was the first woman to walk on the bottom of the sea in a robotic apparatus.”

First in her class at Palm Beach Gardens High School in Florida, 16-year-old Beaulieu was awarded the seventh-place $7,500 scholarship.

Her study was designed to learn more about the bacterial canker diseases that damage citrus and dieffenbachia plants (household and decorative species).

The winner of numerous science and social science awards, Beaulieu hopes to attend Stanford University to study ocean engineering or marine biology.

Since its inception in 1942, the Science Talent Search has been funded by the Westinghouse Electric Corp. and administered by the nonprofit Science Service. Five former winners have earned the Nobel Prize.