SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Samay Godika, a 16-year-old Boston native, has won the fourth annual Breakthrough Junior Challenge in a global science video competition designed to inspire creative thinking about fundamental concepts in the life sciences, physics, and mathematics, the Breakthrough Prize announced Sunday.
Godika, who now lives in India, was awarded the prize at a grand gala celebration held at the NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley for his video submitted in the life sciences category, which focused on circadian rhythms, the 24-hour biological processes that can affect simple daily experiences such as waking up for school or jet lag.
The Boston boy's exploration was inspired by his family members who suffered from Parkinson's and other neurological diseases, which aroused his strong interest in the correlation between circadian rhythms and the effectiveness of medical treatments.
As the winner, Godika will receive 400,000 U.S. dollars in educational prizes for himself, his teacher and his school.
While he is currently studying as a junior at National Public School-Koramangala in Bangalore, India, Godika will receive 250,000 dollars in college scholarship, the Breakthrough Prize Foundation said.
"Participating in and now winning the Breakthrough Junior Challenge is life-changing, thrilling and such an honor," Godika said.
This is the fourth consecutive year in which students aged 13-18 were invited to create original videos that illustrated a concept or theory in the physical or life sciences.
Since its launch, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge has covered 190 countries and regions, and the 2018 installment of the global competition attracted more than 12,000 applicants.
The competition is a global initiative to develop and demonstrate young people's knowledge of science and scientific principles. It aims to engage the imagination and interest of the public in key concepts of fundamental science.
