INTERVIEW
At 15, the American Gitanjali Rao is the first to be named “child of the year” by the prestigious magazine Time. This young scientist has invented a device connected to our phones that can tell if water is drinkable or not. She has also developed an application that uses artificial intelligence to fight cyberbullying. “I’ve always been someone who always wanted to learn more, who wanted to explore new things. If I hear about a new concept in the newspapers or on TV, I have to go look in depth and see what it corresponds in real life “, explains the young girl at the microphone of Europe 1.
Using science to “make people smile”
“My interest in science did not arise suddenly, it is something that has constantly evolved, progressed thanks to the things that I love”, continues Gitanjali Rao. “I realized that I wanted to use science to make a difference in a positive way. I love to make people smile and make them feel better, and that’s what I do with science. My science, it’s innovating for change, innovating to have a positive impact in the world. “
Among her many projects, Gitanjali Rao has also set up innovation sessions, a kind of workshops where she helps students develop their science faculties. “I developed this for all the students in the world, it already concerns 33,800 students in all”, she explains. “The most important thing is to motivate them to go beyond preconceived ideas.” Gitanjali Raola helps them in particular to organize their work. “A lot of students don’t know where to start, or how to go about it. And that’s the goal of this workshop: to give them the starting point and answer their questions.”
A pilot’s license
Despite his very young age, Gitanjali Rao combines passions and skills. “I do fencing, I play bass, piano, I cook a lot and I am currently passing my airplane pilot’s license… It’s a lot of fun. I can fly with an airplane but I can not drive a car “, smiles the young prodigy, still at the microphone of Europe 1.
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