<object width=”640″ height=”390″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/lCqtJV36bz4&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3″></param><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><param name=”allowScriptAccess” value=”always”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/lCqtJV36bz4&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowfullscreen=”true” allowScriptAccess=”always” width=”640″ height=”390″></embed></object>This is a break from our usual slew of tech stories.  I’m kind of a science geek.  Can’t really do the technical parts (I’m not so inclined with numbers), but I love seeing science in practical applications.  I hated Science Fairs as a kid, mostly because I couldn’t ever seem to get a cool enough project to work, but these kids are clearly a leg up on most of us. 

The finalists for the Google Science fair have been announced, and let me tell you: Science Fairs have changed… dramatically.

The Finalists

The oldest finalist is 18, and the ideas are amazing.  Here are just a few of the ideas coming out of the 13-14 year old bracket:

• Prosthetic Limb improvements
• A modified railroad switch that prevents derailments
• Robots that can process commands given in English

From the 15-16 year olds:

• Building a turbine that can work underwater
• How to chart the ocean landscape remotely