Google offers $50,000 prize in search for young Einsteins

Google has announced the launch of an online global science fair allowing any student with an internet connection and a Google account to enter a competition with a $50,000 (£32,000) prize.

Billed as the "first global online science competition", the Google Science Fair is open to anyone aged between 13 and 18. Students are encouraged to submit an idea for a scientific experiment by 4 April, with the winners being flown out to California to pitch their idea to some of the world's leading scientific luminaries.

In a blog post announcing the competition, the company said that scientifically gifted youths should be encouraged to display their talents: "How many ideas are lost because people don't have the right forum for their talents to be discovered?"

The competition is being supported by leading scientific outlets including the magazines National Geographic and Scientific American, as well as the CERN institute in Geneva, home of the Large Hadron Collider.

Visit the Google website for more information about the competition.

For inspiration, why not visit the eLibrary to have a look at some educational resources related to the theme of discovery.