ok, so i could use an idea

[dukefan6842]

Hey guys,
I'm a high school senior this year, and a unique opportunity has been presented to me. The Beijing Youth Science Creation competition for 2006 will feature a US delegation featuring 10 people from the United States. The coordinator was chosen to be NC State professor Dr. Fran Nolan. Four others will be US senators and congressman. Fran chose his personal friend Rice Strange to accompany him, who happens to the Physics teacher at my high school. Mr. Strange convinced Fran to draw 3 of the four students to go to china and compete from my high school. I happen to be personal friends with both Mr. Strange and Dr. Nolan. I think that if i was chosen for this trip that it would help me tremendously with my application to MIT.
Anyways, to students must submit an application for a project in the areas of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. The project must include actual research. It may involve a controlled experiment, in-depth analysis of an existing data set, or applied technology. The big thing here is that it has to be something that hasn't been done before...I have some experience with reverse engineering and such, but mainly by following others' instructions. eg. Xbox modding, cvs camera mods, diy electronics projects... So what i really need here is an idea on what needs to be done. I would love any ideas that you think that you could give me for a project i can do.
thanks,
Sam
you can email me at dukefan6842@gmail.com

[bascule]

So let me get this straight, you're going to a "Youth Science Creation" competition, but you want other people to be creative for you...

Here's an idea: Get there on your own merit

[dukefan6842]

You see, the idea here is to be creative in a field where there needs to be creativity, and i was simply asking where that is. I'm trying to ask people who know more than i do so that i can present the best project possible.

[TheCotMan]

Build a thermal imaging and video system and robot that is able to detect slight differences of temperature in fowl, and some sort of predictive system to estimate birds at risk for "bird flu" and have an automated targetting system select "at risk birds" and kill them automatically.
Maybe add a chipper-shredder or juicing option to deal with the bird corpses, or perhaps live birds when your ammunition runs out..

Naw. Build a better mousetrap.

[owl]

The idea of coming with a project is not just to get something that would be easy to do or something that nobody else has ever thought, the idea is that you can learn something from it and that you can show to everyone what you have learned.

You mention that you are into reverse engineering, so what about trying something on your own instead of following somebody else script. Decided if you preffer hardware or software reversing, and go from there. Example if you like furbys , you may want to modifyied them to do something useful instead of just repeating words. You may want to convert them into an alarm that wil keep track of the time and day and wake you up when you want to, or you may convert them into some type of smoke or biological detector, or to take pictures or video and send them wireless to a computer.

The point is to look around and ask yourself what do I wish this object or program could do?, and take it from there.

[skroo]

Maybe add a chipper-shredder or juicing option to deal with the bird corpses.

I like this idea. Can I have the squeezings for fuel?

[AlxRogan]

I prefer the Snake Squeezins myself.

[lil_freak]

I suggest to you a project based on Biometric Surveillance.

There is plenty of data out on this subject already, along with some case studies. Not to mention the fact that most states LE departments have looked at using something similar to this. Most departments that have looked into or are still looking at this subject are usually more than happy to answer questions about said topic.

I know that where I work our Crime Lab guys are more than willing to talk about the pros and cons of what they have found when doing case studies and so forth on the topic of Biometric Surveillance. How Biometric Surveillance is technically being used already all over by the mandatory process of having utilize the AFIS systems, etc.

Good Luck to you in whatever it is you decide to do your project on.