A 15-year-old Saanich student who invented a flashlight powered by body heat is heading home today from California with a big prize--and an opportunity to expand on her work. St. Michaels University School student Ann Makosinski was the only Canadian among the four winners at Google's annual international science fair, beating out thousands of other young scientists from around the world. Winning the international contest was "a total shock", Ann said from San Francisco. "I definitely think it will have an influence on my future." Ann thanked her family for encouraging her interest in science, telling the judges that her first toy was a box of transistors  . Ann's prize includes a $25,000 scholarship and a "once-in-a-lifetime experience" from either the European Organization for Nuclear Research, Lego or Google for her Hollow Flashlight, which has no moving parts or batteries. Ann created the flashlight for a local science fair. The inspiration for the invention came from seeing unwanted batteries and after visits to the Philippines, where she saw the need for a battery-free flashlight. A friend at school there failed in her studies because of a lack of electricity and light to study when it became dark. In her project, Ann wrote that she "made two flashlights that do not use any batteries, harmful chemicals, or kinetic energy  . They do not create any noise and will always work. The flashlight's only limitation is its need for at least a 5degC temperature difference to provide usable light." A You Tube video of Ann explaining how she created the flashlight has been viewed more than 1.4 million times. Despite her success, the private school student is undecided about her career path. Ann hopes she can find a way to combine her love of film with science. The four winners were chosen from 15 finalists from eight countries. The contest attracted thousands of entries from students in 120 countries. What can we learn about Google's science fair?
There is no age limit. It is held once a year. It is aimed mainly at Canadians. It chooses five winners each year.