Photo/Siemens Foundation
As a Monte Vista high school freshman from Cupertino California, Angela Zhang decided to tackle "The Big C". She simply asked herself, "Why does this happen. Why does cancer cause death? What are we doing to fix this and what can I do to help."
After delving into doctorate level scientific study and eventually talking her way into a research lab at Stanford, she rolled up her sleeves, took a hard look at the problem. By the time she reached her seniior year, she had made her ground-breaking discovery. Last week, it was announced in Washington that Ms. Zhang won top honors at the Siemens Foundation's annual high school science competition. The prize, a $100,000 scholarship for research. You can watch the video to see what her breakthrough entailed, but in a nutshell, she figured a way to target and kill cancer cells while preserving the healthy cells around them. This approach, though several years from human trials, could make cancer treatments much less toxic and far more effective.
Putting aside the audacity of one so young to take on the ultimate biomedical beast without a second thought, I was also struck by the dominance of Asian scientists among the Siemens winners. From the runners up to the top prize, Asian youngsters ruled the day. As a substitute teacher, I've noticed the same propensities. Asian students are more disciplined, serious-minded, and better behaved as a rule. Sure, this is a great argument for open immigration, but I can't help wondering why Asian minds have such a clear academic edge, especially in the sciences. Whatever it is, could we somehow package it and feed it to American kids?
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Traditional Chinese parenting is strict, demanding and relentless. Typical American parenting? Not so much. Each way involves pretty dramatic trade-0ffs.
Lezlie
Fusun--I assume you are referring to cultural influences. Lezlie mentions the same, but I find it hard to believe that could be the only factor.
Lezlie- Considering that "dramatic trade-off" you mentioned. I would say that only means that we, as American parents need to find a balance between the two extremes. I still think there is a genetic component though. Malcom Gladwell in his book, "Outliers" asserts that a history of rice cultivation may play a role given that the endeavor is so arduous; a long, labor intensive process. In other words, a strong work ethic was required for survival. Gladwell also mentioned the way the Chinese communicate numbers in a much more intuitive way than so in our system. This may give then a cognitive edge in math.
Zanelle--She was a doll, and so down to earth. The math prodigy on 60 Minutes was slightly insufferable ;) Just kidding, but Angela was much easier to relate to.
lschmoope--Yes, great show!
I think most Asian children who do really well in school have cultural biases about family and honor that make them more focused. In short, it's parents who are deeply involved in their children's welfare, lives and upbringing. Who could have posited that one?
Imagine what this country could do if that sort of commitment could be packaged up and distributed?
Still, though, that's awesome news. Once again, new breakthrough brought to you by someone who doesn't know it can't be done, because they're not an expert. Just asking questions.
--r--
Packaging it wouldn't help a bit. Nobody can make our kits "eat" anything unless they can put catsup on it.....
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I've used a cat avatar for muuuuch too long!
;-)
Until we have new frontiers- (since mega wealth is still out of the hands of most hard working and intelligent people)- we are hitting the very ceiling of ambition already. While it's great she won 100k for a scholarship, that's what politicians and businessmen earn in a week. And she's solving the riddles of cancer- to be taken at great profit for the owners of the labs her studies will favor. Perhaps if we paid doctors and scientists better, we'd have more "American" kids looking into the world of research and medicine. Until then, they are just going to hold out for the pimpin' lifestyle of the privileged and entitled American citizen.
These are American kids.
We are now in that flummoxing space of the first generation of kids who have not had to work hard to get much of anything now not being able to afford to get almost any of the things they thought they were just going to get. They are facing a lot of hardship that their parents didn't prepare them for. Perhaps their children, if they have any, will learn from this. I hear South America is emerging as the new place to be, as American and European culture face their economic (and perhaps social?) decline. Perhaps we need to send our kids there.
I love this story, and feel her brilliance goes with the naive curiousity some smart kids get: why wouldn't I look into this subject I'm curious about? I doubt she even thought she'd have a breakthrough (although I haven't looked at video yet, maybe she clearly was ambitious about discovering a cure), just that she was curious about it and the outside-of-the-box answer came to her.
I love it.
Thanks for writing about her!
the traveler--Touché
R
I suppose one reason for that is younger people are better able to maintain the "suspension of disbelief", that is, they don't know they can't. This is sometimes referred to as the triumph of the uncluttered mind.
As for the "Asian thing", it's commonly accepted that the oriental mind and the occidental mind operate differently. I suspect that has to do with culture and training, but I suspect it is also a consequence of a very different weltview, one which emphasizes the group over the individual.
That divide is all too apparent among America's Kindergarten Kristians who, for all their mouthing of platitudes, haven't a clue about the communal aspects of Jesus' teachings.
Of course, generalizations about oriental and occidental thinking become highly suspect in the case of a young woman of Asian heritage raised in America's melting pot culture of California.
OMoM