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Kid Inventor Inspired by Dad

Sonia Chopra

Three years ago, a 11 year old went to the Los Alamos National Laboratory to be with his father on a "Take Your Children to Work Day." Awed, excited and deeply interested, the child spent the entire day doing experiments and awakening to the possibilities of physics.

Last week, he was among the 40 finalists of the 1999 Discovery Young Scientist Challenge for his project.

"I am thrilled, excited, happy and I am looking forward to the finals,'' Naveen Sinha, a student at the Los Alamos Middle School, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

"I really enjoyed the whole thing, working on the project, participating and winning. It's gratifying,'' said Sinha.

Discovery Communications, in partnership with Science Service, picked the 40 finalists from 400 semifinalists in the first annual Discovery Young Scientist Challenge. The contest is designed to encourage exploration of science among America's middle school students. The only contest of its kind, it drew entrants from 46 states.

The 50,000 students, who initially entered the contest, had projects that dealt with topics ranging from the effects of plants on second-hand smoke to exploring connections between birth order and self-esteem. After several elimination processes, 40 have reached the final level.

"He is deeply interested in science and its practical applications and the best thing about him is that he can see how inventions can benefit society," said his father Dipen Sinha. A physicist at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Dipen Sinha, 48, has been in the United States since his early twenties and has worked in areas that range from biomedical to industrial products.

"We talk a lot about my work. He has used many applications from my work. He loves to come to my lab and talk to other scientists. He finds this extremely stimulating," said Sinha, who himself has received awards for his inventions.

"I have been treated like a celebrity ever since the few people I know have heard the news," said Naveen Sinha. His project, Sound Applications of Interference, involves the replacement of multiple sensors with one sensor to determine the characteristics of the contents of a tank, reactor vessel etc from the outside.

Unlike, most existing equipment that demands the sensor be in direct contact with the contents, his works from the outside. This makes intrinsically safe, since putting electronic sensors and electrical wires into inside a tank of flammable liquid (one of the factors in the TWA plane crash a few years ago) or gas isn't always advisable. Naveen is considering applying for a patent.

To his mother, Naveen, her only child, is a chip off the block.

"He got interested in physics because his dad was so involved in the subject. His father used to come home and discuss his work and it got him interested. He also supported and encouraged Naveen's quests to discover things," said Barbara Sinha, 48, who has a Ph D in physics, but is now pursuing a degree in psychology -- with an interest in counseling -- at the South Western College, Santa Fe.

Naveen has been a winner several times. For the past three years he has won first place in physics at all his science fair competitions (county, regional, and state). The last two years, he also won the Junior Division Grand Prize at the state competition. The Grand Prize includes all fields (physics, chemistry, biology, etc).

For each science fair project, he did something that had applications in the real world. Three years ago, his project was A Sound Way to Detect Water Pollution. He developed a novel sensor that used sound waves to detect contamination in water. The next year his project was A Sound Way to Detect Ice on Airplane Wings. He has also submitted a patent on it.

His winning makes his teachers and school very proud.

"Naveen's victory is awesome but it does not surprise me. He's focused, hardworking, diligent and very smart. We are very excited for him," said Barbara Roybal, his eighth-grade teacher last year, who also taught an advanced science program called Gifted and Talented Education.

"It's fortunate he likes competitions. It's the best way of getting your work out there. He is one of the most talented students I have had," said Roybal, who has been teaching for 26 years at the Los Alamos Middle School.

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