Samay Godika, a class 11 student of National Public School-Koramangala, Bangalore, aced the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, winning a prize money of $400,000 (over Rs 2.9 crore). He was among 15 finalists (including three Indians) of more than 12,000 original registrants from around the world who participated in the prestigious annual Breakthrough Junior Challenge, a global science competition for teenagers to share their passion for mathematics and science.
While Samay will receive a $250,000 (over Rs 1.8 crore) college scholarship, his ninth and tenth grade science teacher, Pramila Menon, who encouraged his interest in life sciences and tutored him after school to encourage his curiosity about scientific ideas, will win a $50,000 (over Rs 36 lakh) prize. In addition, his school will receive a state-of-the-art science lab valued at $100,000 (over Rs 72 lakh).
For the competition, participants had to submit engaging and imaginative videos to demonstrate difficult scientific concepts and theories in the physical or life sciences.
Samay Godika’s Circadian Rhythm
Samay, in his project, explored various aspects of Circadian Rhythm. “I first heard about Circadian Rhythm when it was in the news as the 2017 Nobel Prize winning topic in Medicine. I zeroed in on this topic as it seemed to impact many facets of daily lives, including things like my asthma, the difficulty I face getting up early in the morning, etc, he said.
Samay wants to pursue a formal programme in neuroscience. “Our brain seems to be the most complex system in this world and the least understood. I am interested in building a solid foundation in this area. In parallel, I would also like to pursue a programme that allows me to formally learn Data Sciences. This skill will equip me to model complex problems. A combination of neuroscience and data science skills could enable me to devise solutions for some of the most debilitating diseases faced by mankind,” Samay said.