What did you do today? New York elementary school student Aidan Dwyer has designed and constructed a solar array based on the Fibonacci sequence that stores and generates energy between 20% and 50% more effectively than existing setups. He got the idea after noticing growth patterns in oak trees.
The solar arrays that Dwyer designed don’t need to be flat-packed in unshaded areas, as current arrays do, rendering them more efficient in terms of space, and a little more aesthetically pleasing. More interesting – and more useful – is the fact that during the winter months, the arrays could generate electricity for 50% longer, and 50% more effectively.
Dwyer was awarded the 2011 Young Naturalist award from the American Museum of Natural History for his work.
When I was 13, I got a certificate of participation in a chess tournament. So there’s that.
[Source: American Museum Of Natural History]
