(Photograph by: Getty Images, National Post) By Sheera Frenkel, McClatchy Newspapers - OttawaCitizen.com NABLUS, West Bank — When Palestinian teenager Aseel Abu Leil looked around her hometown of Nablus for inspiration for the world's largest science fair, she couldn't help but note the obvious. "We are not known for peaceful science here," the 14-year-old said.
Nablus, which was a flash point for violence during the first and second Palestinian uprisings, was later identified by Israel as the hub for the production of rockets and suicide bomber vests.
"I didn't look outside, I looked home," Aseel said. That's where she noticed some of the logistical problems that her blind aunt faced.
(Photo Credit: Grant Slater/AP Photo) Palestinian students Asil Shaar, left, Nour Al-Arda, center, and Asil Abu Lil hold two prototypes of a beeping walking stick for blind people that they built in Askar Girls' School, run by UNRWA, in Askar refugee camp in the West Bank city of Nablus.
Along with classmates Aseel Sha 'ar and Nour El Arda, she invented an obstacle-detecting walking stick. They entered the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair alongside 6 million global contestants, and were chosen to be among 1,500 finalists to attend the world's largest science fair next month in San Jose, Calif.
"We are very proud. To go, to compete at Intel and show our work. This is very, very important," Nour said. "I am proud of what we have done. There was already one (walking stick) that could sense objects ahead, and another one that could find holes, but nobody combined the two."..MORE...
- Category: Science & Technology
