14-Year-old Wins ‘America’s Top Young Scientist’ for Inventing Pesticide Detector For Fruits and Vegetables – Collective Evolution
Commentaar Vrouwenpartij: een scanner van de wensenlijst van de Vrouwenpartij komt er aan! Een 14-jarige uitvinder heeft hem succesvol ontwikkeld en wil hem voor slechts 20 dollar op de markt brengen. Hij scant het pesticide residu op elk soort fruit en groente en je kunt hem meenemen naar de (super)markt.
Een einde aan de discussie
Eindelijk kan de foute lobbyisten de mond gesnoerd worden. Jarenlang zijn ze betaald door de Unilevers, de Nestlé’s om ons wijs te maken dat biologisch geteeld voedsel geen voordelen biedt.
‘Pesticiden en andere vergiften waren allang van de gewassen afgeregend en thuis kon je voor de zekerheid je groente en fruit onder de kraan houden. En zeg nou zelf: ‘het zag er toch veel beter uit dan die biologische kneusjes en zijn zoveel goedkoper. Je bent een dief van je eigen portemonnee als je biologisch koopt.’
Met een simpele scan kun je nu de resten van pesticiden op je groente en fruit zien en begrijpen dat je al die jaren bedrogen bent door je goedgelovigheid.
Zie ook in het artikel hoeveel meer goede en gezonde stoffen er in biologische producten zitten. Dat is wel schrikken. De mate van hoe wij voorgelogen zijn komt toch wel in de buurt van het ongelooflijke.
De toekomst is aan AI sensors en scanners
Wat als we een scanner in de hand krijgen die de mate van ultra bewerkt voedsel (UPF) in een voedselproduct of in junkfood kan vaststellen? Hoeveel suiker, hoeveel zout, welke foute E-nummers, welke onnodige stoffen? En de scanner vervolgens een gezondheidscijfer kan geven? Maar ook een cijfer voor hoe verslavend het product is?
Wat als we een AI sensor bij ons dragen die ons kan aangeven hoe betrouwbaar het is wat iemand ons vertelt?
Wat als we een sensor bij ons dragen die gaat opnemen (en filmen) als het agressie of kwaadheid opvangt of waarneemt? Of grensoverschrijdend gedrag?
Kunnen er AI sensors komen die femicide gevoelens en intenties kunnen detecteren en voorkomen?
Sensors die gemaskerde mensen kunnen identificeren?
Voor de Vrouwenpartij zijn sensors de bouwstenen voor een veilige en eerlijke toekomst.
Wat als je de deksel op je neus krijgt als je liegt, als je kwade bedoelingen hebt?
Een eerlijke samenleving in het vooruitzicht?
Als sensors het kwaad in de wereld kunnen detecteren, betekent het dat het kwaad geen toekomst meer heeft?
Een wereld van harmonie is onze toekomst?
Onderaan staat een Nederlandse vertaling van ChatGPT
14-Year-old Wins ‘America’s Top Young Scientist’ for Inventing Pesticide Detector For Fruits and Vegetables
A young visionary from Snellville, Georgia, is redefining what it means to be a scientist. Sirish Subash, a 9th grader, has claimed the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist” and the $25,000 grand prize at the 3M Young Scientist Challenge for an invention that promises to shift how we think about food safety. His creation?
A handheld device that can detect pesticide residues on produce, a solution to a problem that has been lurking beneath the surface of our daily meals. Driven by a simple yet profound curiosity, Sirish’s journey began with a question many of us have likely heard before: Does washing fruits and vegetables actually make them safe? His mother’s reminder to always wash fruit sparked this inquiry, and, in the spirit of true scientific exploration, he dug deeper, uncovering a startling truth.
Research shows that about 70% of produce carries pesticide residues, linked to potential health risks like cancer and Alzheimer’s. But standard washing methods barely scratch the surface. As CE has covered in the past, an organic diet significantly reduces urinary pesticide levels in children & adults, showing that pesticides sprayed on food end up inside us even when we wash food. “If we could detect them,” he thought, “we could avoid consuming them and reduce these risks.” With that, Sirish began building his tool, which he named PestiSCAND. The device uses spectrophotometry, an impressive technology that reads light waves reflected from produce to identify chemical residues.
PestiSCAND’s AI-based sensor then analyzes this light, detecting pesticide traces with over 85% accuracy, a breakthrough in both efficiency and accessibility. Sirish tested the device on over 12,000 samples—apples, spinach, strawberries, and tomatoes. The prototype met all expectations, and he’s already working to refine it with a target price of just $20 per unit. His dream? To bring PestiSCAND to consumers by the time he starts college.
Supported by a 3M mentor, Sirish honed his device over four months. At the final competition in Minnesota, he stood out among nine other young scientists, securing his title and the admiration of onlookers, including 3M’s chief public affairs officer, Torie Clarke, who called the finalists “inspiring examples of creativity and purpose-driven innovation.” With an eye on MIT and a passion for physics and engineering, Sirish plans to invest his winnings in his future education. He’s already had a taste of the big leagues, sharing his insights in an interview with the New York Stock Exchange before ringing the opening bell. At just 15, he’s showing us that the next generation of changemakers is already hard at work, turning curiosity into impact and asking us to rethink the world around us. More On Pesticides It’s also noteworthy to mention that a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition carried out a meta-analysis based on 343 peer-reviewed publications that indicate “statistically significant and meaningful differences in composition between organic and non-organic crops/crop based foods.”
The study found that Phenolic acids are 19% higher in organic foods, Flavanones are 69% higher in organic foods (linked to reduced risk of several age-related chronic diseases), Stilbenes are 28% higher in organic foods, Flavones are 26% higher in organic foods, Flavonol is 50% higher in organic foods and Anthocyanins are 51% higher in organic foods.
Apart from nutritional content, the study also measured for concentrations of the toxic metal Cadmium (Cd), finding that in conventional foods, “significantly higher concentrations” were found. Conventional foods appear to have nearly 50 percent more of this heavy metal than organic foods. Furthermore, significant differences were also detected for other minerals and vitamins.
When it comes to pesticide residues on non-organic foods, the authors found that the volume of pesticide residues was four times higher in conventional crops. Another study conducted by researchers from RMIT University nearly 5 years ago published in the journal Environmental Research found that eating an organic diet for just one week significantly reduced pesticide exposure in adults by up to 90 percent.
A 2019 study published in the journal Environmental Research titled, “Organic diet intervention significantly reduces urinary pesticide levels in U.S. children and adults” highlighted that diet is the primary source of pesticide exposure in both children and adults in the United States. It found that an organic diet significantly reduced neonicotinoid, OP pyrethroid, 2,4-D exposure, with the greatest reduction observed in malathion, clothianidin, and chlorpyrifos.
The researchers noted that all of us are exposed “to a cocktail of toxic synthetic pesticides linked to a range of health problems from our daily diets.” They explain how “certified organic food is produced without these pesticides,” and ask the question, “Can eating organic really reduce levels of pesticides in our bodies?” They tested four American families that don’t typically eat organic food to find out. All pesticides detected in the body dropped an average of 60.5% after just six days on an organic diet.
First, we tested the levels of pesticides in their bodies on a non-organic diet for six days. We found 14 chemicals representing potential exposure to 40 different pesticides in every study participant. These included organophosphates, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids and the phenoxy herbicide 2,4-D. Some of the pesticides we found are linked to increased risk of cancer, infertility, learning disabilities, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and more. (source)
