Innovative Minds: Abigail Stein

Harding Academy | 7th grade | 13 years old

Allergy Spoon

About the Idea

Meet Abigail. Abigail created Allergy Spoon, a smart utensil that detects allergens in food and changes color to help prevent life-threatening allergic reactions.

Why did you enter the 3M Young Scientist Challenge?

I entered the 3M Young Scientist Challenge because I believe that science shouldn't just stay in a lab-it should solve the everyday problems that kids actually face. Watching friends with food allergies live with constant stress at the lunch table made me realize that even though the technology to detect allergens exists, it isn't accessible or easy for a student to use. I entered this challenge because I want to prove that you don't need a $200 machine to change the world—sometimes, you just need a better spoon.

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

My favorite invention of the last 100 years is the Band-Aid. It is just so simple that we almost forget it is an "invention" at all. Yet it revolutionized life for kids. Before Band-Aids, if you got a little cut, it was a big deal. This invention took the science of a hospital bandage and made it simple and child-friendly. I love this invention because it is a "quiet" hero. It does not need batteries or a screen to make a child feel secure. And this is exactly what I want to do with my Allergy Spoon: make a big, scary problem better with one simple tool.

In 15 years I hope to be...

I hope to be in the military or law school.