Innovative Minds: Sarah Wang

The Pike School | 6th grade | 12 years old

The Spring Epilepsy Detection Glove

About the Idea

Meet Sarah. Sarah developed The Spring Epilepsy Detection Glove, a glove that can detect tonic-clonic and myoclonic epileptic seizures with common hand movements.

Why did you enter the 3M Young Scientist Challenge?

After learning about this challenge through a friend, I perceived it as an excellent opportunity to create something new and have a platform to share it with the world. I thought that the 3M Young Scientist Challenge would motivate me to create something cool, and it did! I also love learning about other new inventions and other young scientists, so I also thought of this challenge as a way to communicate with other talented and young innovators. I love engineering, innovation, and creating videos, so I knew the 3M Young Scientist Challenge would be really fun and a great learning experience overall.

What is your favorite invention of the last 100 years, and why?

My favorite invention invented in the past 100 years is the electroencephalogram machine, also known as the EEG machine. Initially invented by German physiologist Hans Berger in 1924, the machine measures electrical activity in the brain through electrodes placed on the scalp. In my opinion, it’s one of the most important inventions aiding the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. The ability to detect abnormal electrical activity in the brain with a machine has fascinated me. The EEG machine has allowed doctors and researchers to study the causes of seizures, leading to a better understanding of epilepsy in general. Overall, the EEG machine is an amazing and extremely useful invention that has had a great influence in the field of epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

In 15 years I hope to be...

A neuroscientist or a lawyer. I enjoy studying the brain and learning more about human behavior, and I’d be happy to learn more about that. I also enjoy fighting for what I believe is right and standing up for myself, and I think being a lawyer would be really fun too.