Yet Another Kid Makes Scientists Look Lazy

**Terasiel** · 09-18-2008, 03:33 PM

12 Year Old Boy Invents New Type of Solar Cell

Now here’s a story that makes me feel profoundly unaccomplished: a 12 year old boy in Beaverton(Terasiel: Teehee), Oregon recently developed a new type of 3D solar cell that makes other solar cells look inefficient by comparison.

William Yuan’s 3D cell can absorb both visible and UV light. According to his calculations, solar panels equipped with his 3D cells could provide 500 times more light absorption than current commercial solar cells and nine times more light than existing 3D solar cells.

Tell me, now that a kid invented the process for biodegrading plastic and another outtech'd the solar energy community...when are people going to stop assuming age is in direct proportion to knowledge and ability?

William Yuan's Biography

I'm waiting for this kid to invent a power suit and start some Iron Law.
The Future of William Yuan?

**R3dKnight** · 09-18-2008, 03:39 PM

Asian parents making their kids over-achieved again

**MojoMunkeez** · 09-18-2008, 03:40 PM

I love my people.

**KyubiNoKitsune** · 09-18-2008, 04:29 PM

Did he only simulate / theorize them, or was a prototype built too?
If it works: gj.

**Henchy432** · 09-18-2008, 04:32 PM

I call bullshit.

**Sherman** · 09-19-2008, 02:38 AM

According to his calculations...

I think I'm gonna need some proof before I start praising this kid.

**Urameshi-sama** · 09-19-2008, 04:26 AM

^Same here. A post by a scientist from U Georgia in the 1st article said he adapted their research, so I'm a bit skeptical on this kid's own role in the advancement of solar cell tech.

Also, most of the kid's 'resume' were just camps that one had to pay to get the fame associated with the institutions associated with it (like Johns Hopkins). The only especially impressive creds I saw were the Davidson fellows, Northwest Science Expo 2nd place, and the Electrical Engg society recognition. The other creds are that of just an exceptional 12-year-old.

But I agree with you (Tera) on the fact that kids are baselessly discriminated against in terms of academic capacity. The antithesis holds more truth, but I guess most of us are too egotistic to admit this.