High school senior kills cancer with nanotech, still can't legally drink

[VCURamFan]

From Engadget.com:

Ever ask yourself, "What am I doing with my life?" No? Well, a little existential crisis is in order then. Because while you and the rest of Team teen America were busy dressing like Gaga, dancing to the Bieber and playing Angry Birds, high school senior Angela Zhang was killing cancer. Yes, this 17-year old medical prodigy from Cupertino was just awarded the Siemens Foundation grand prize -- a $100,000 payday -- for her work "Design of Image-guided, Photo-thermal Controlled Drug Releasing Multifunctional Nanosystem for the Treatment of Cancer Stem Cells." It's certainly a mouthful, but this nanotech is what one fellow researcher's calling the "Swiss Army knife of cancer treatment," as her gold and iron-oxide nanoparticle does double duty delivering the drug salinomycin to a tumor site, in addition to aiding MRI and photoacoustic imaging. If that's not impressive enough, this real-life lady Doogie Howser's also won Intel's ISEF grand award in both 2010 and 2011 for other health science-related work. Sure, Angela might inadvertently fall into the overachiever category, but girlfriend definitely deserves to win that Prom Queen crown.

This is where our money priority should be. Not entertainers and athletes.

Imagine how much further we'd be if successful scientists were treated and paid like rock stars.

[NateR]

Originally Posted by County Mike

This is where our money priority should be. Not entertainers and athletes.

Imagine how much further we'd be if successful scientists were treated and paid like rock stars.

I think our country would be better served by teaching kids that this girl might be the exception to the rule in America now, but she doesn't have to be. There is no reason that more American teenagers can't achieve just as much before they turn 18.

George Washington had mastered growing tobacco, stock raising and surveying by the time he was in his early teens. At 16, he traveled with a surveying party plotting land in Virginia’s western territory. At 17, he received an appointment as official surveyor of Virginia's Culpeper, Frederick and Augusta counties. He then went on to lead America to a hard fought victory in the Revolutionary War and became the first (and arguably still the greatest) President of the United States.

John Paul Jones began working as a cabin boy at the age of 12, and became first mate at the age of 19. He took command of his first ship at the age of 21. He then went on to help found the US Navy.

Ben Franklin was apprenticed as a printer at the age of 12 and, as a 17-year-old self-taught writer, began printing his own essays under the pen name of "Silence Dogood" that were so ingeniously written, his own family didn't realize he was the actual author. He started his own business at the age of 18. He went on to become on of our most famous Founding Fathers and a distinguished man of science.

I think one of the reasons that today's teenagers are so rebellious is because they are molly-coddled for too long. They have almost no responsibilities, no accountability, no sense of consequences, and they are taught that life is for just sitting back and having fun until they graduate college - because that's when all the adult responsibility kicks in, never before. However, I think kids need to be given responsibility and treated like adults as young as 13. Of course not every 13-year-old can handle it, but I know 21, 30, 40 and 50-year-olds who can't handle responsibility. Although, I think enough teenagers will not only be able to handle it, but actually thrive on it, and we will see a dramatic turn around in the work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit in this nation.

Originally Posted by County Mike

This is where our money priority should be. Not entertainers and athletes.

Imagine how much further we'd be if successful scientists were treated and paid like rock stars.

couldn't agree more.

Originally Posted by County Mike

This is where our money priority should be. Not entertainers and athletes.

Imagine how much further we'd be if successful scientists were treated and paid like rock stars.

if you paid them too much, they would retire early .. keeping paying them just enough so they have to work for a while ...

[rockdawg21]

I'll bet her show isn't as successful as the idiot Kardashians and Jersey Shore.

Originally Posted by rearnakedchoke

if you paid them too much, they would retire early .. keeping paying them just enough so they have to work for a while ...

Good point, but there has to be an attraction to this profession so it draws in more quality people.

Originally Posted by rockdawg21

I'll bet her show isn't as successful as the idiot Kardashians and Jersey Shore.

What a joke all of the above idiots mentioned. It's ridiculous how many opportunities they have been given by being nasty pigs on reality shows..Makes me want to throw up in my mouth a little.

Originally Posted by County Mike

Good point, but there has to be an attraction to this profession so it draws in more quality people.

i was kidding a bit .. in some cultures like asian and south asian, being a doctor is still a prestigious career .. why wouldn't it be .. so you are still gonna have a whole bunch of kids striving to be like this girl ... but you are right .. kids see singers and athletes and want the $$ now and lots of it ...

Originally Posted by rockdawg21

I'll bet her show isn't as successful as the idiot Kardashians and Jersey Shore.

actually if she set up a webcam and charged for the privlage of watching her do her work topless i think she might do very well... but only after she becomes an adult of course.