Indian-American Gitanjali Rao from Colorado became the first winner of the title “Child of the year,” according to Time magazine.
15-year-old Gitanjali Rao was awarded this honorary title for inventing a mobile device for detecting lead impurities in drinking water. She also developed the Kindly computer program, designed to detect signs of online bullying using artificial intelligence.
Time for the first time made a rating of this kind, choosing more than 5 thousand applicants in the age category from 8 to 15 years. Rao was the winner in the last round of selection, which included four other teenagers. They live in the states of California, Missouri, Virginia, and Texas.
“Observation, brainstorming, research, creation and communication,” the American girl told the publication, speaking about the principle of her approach to scientific activity. Rao recommends that peers not focus on trying to solve several problems at once but focus on one goal. “If I could, everyone can,” she added.
Time will select “Person of the year” in a week. Last year, Greta Thunberg, a Swedish climate activist, won the title.
Traditionally, in December, the editors of Time announce the “Person of the year.” His photo is placed on the cover of the magazine. There are no specific criteria for awarding this title: it is considered that it is awarded to the person who had the greatest impact on society during the year, regardless of whether it was positive or negative. The first to earn this title in 1927 was the American pilot Charles Lindbergh, who flew alone across the Atlantic for the first time in history.