TEDWomen 2017
Anushka Naiknaware: A teen scientist's invention to help wounds heal
Anushka Naiknaware: O invento dunha científica adolescente que axuda a curar feridas
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Anushka Naiknaware deseñou, traballando no seu garaxe, un sensor que monitoriza o proceso de curación das feridas, e converteuse --con 13 anos-- na gañadora máis nova da Feira da Ciencia de Google. A súa enxeñosa invención enfócase no problema global das feridas crónicas, as que non cicatrizan axeitadamente por mor de enfermidades preexistentes, como a diabetes, e que provocan un gasto sanitario de millóns de dólares no mundo. Naiknaware expón cómo funcionan as súas "vendaxes intelixentes" e comparte a súa experiencia para animar a outras persoas a contribuír ao cambio.
Anushka Naiknaware - Scientist
In 2016, at age 13, Anushka Naiknaware was the youngest winner of the Google Science Fair, with her invention of a clever new bandage that tells caregivers when it needs to be changed. Full bio
In 2016, at age 13, Anushka Naiknaware was the youngest winner of the Google Science Fair, with her invention of a clever new bandage that tells caregivers when it needs to be changed. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
Ever since I was a young girl,
I was always fascinated --
I was always fascinated --
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Dende pequerrecha, sempre me abraiou...
(Gargalladas)
00:16
(Laughter)
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Oh!
00:17
Oh!
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(Gargalladas)
00:18
(Laughter)
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00:21
OK, I meant younger and more short.
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De acordo, refírome a máis nova e baixiña.
00:23
(Laughter)
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(Gargalladas)
00:24
If that's possible to imagine.
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Se se pode imaxinar.
00:27
But ever since I was a young girl,
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Pero dende pequerrecha
00:29
I was always fascinated with how
the world worked exactly how it did.
the world worked exactly how it did.
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sempre me abraiou a maneira
na que o mundo funciona tal e como o fai.
na que o mundo funciona tal e como o fai.
00:34
So this, very early on,
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E isto, dende moi cedo,
00:36
led me to the fields
of mathematics and chemistry.
of mathematics and chemistry.
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conduciume aos eidos
da matemática e da química.
da matemática e da química.
00:41
I would keep going further and further,
and as I kept going,
and as I kept going,
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Mentres afondaba nestes temas
00:45
I realized that all the fields
of science are interconnected.
of science are interconnected.
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decateime de que tódolos campos
da ciencia atópanse relacionados.
da ciencia atópanse relacionados.
00:48
And without one, the others
have little or no value.
have little or no value.
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E de que sen un, os demais teñen escaso
ou nulo valor.
ou nulo valor.
00:54
So, inspired by Marie Curie
and my local science museum,
and my local science museum,
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Emporiso, inspirada por Marie Curie
e polo meu museo de ciencias local,
e polo meu museo de ciencias local,
decidín comezar a facerme estas preguntas
00:58
I decided to start asking
these questions myself
these questions myself
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01:01
and engage in my own independent research,
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e iniciar a miña propia
investigación independente,
investigación independente,
01:04
whether it be out
of my garage or my bedroom.
of my garage or my bedroom.
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xa fose no meu garaxe
ou no meu cuarto.
ou no meu cuarto.
01:08
I started reading journal papers,
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Empecei a ler artigos científicos,
01:10
started doing science competitions,
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a inscribirme en concursos,
01:12
started participating in science fairs,
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participar en feiras da ciencia,
01:15
doing anything I could
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e a facer calquera cousa
01:17
to get the knowledge
that I so desperately wanted.
that I so desperately wanted.
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que me permitise obter
o coñecemento que tanto cobizaba.
o coñecemento que tanto cobizaba.
01:21
So while I was studying anatomy
for a competition,
for a competition,
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Deste xeito, mentres estudaba anatomía
para un concurso,
para un concurso,
01:25
I came across the topic
of something called chronic wounds.
of something called chronic wounds.
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atopeime co termo “feridas crónicas”.
01:30
And one thing that stood out
to me was a statistic
to me was a statistic
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E chamoume a atención unha estatística
01:34
that said that the number of people
in the United States with chronic wounds
in the United States with chronic wounds
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que dicía que o número de persoas
con feridas crónicas nos Estados Unidos
con feridas crónicas nos Estados Unidos
01:39
exceeds the number of people
with breast cancer,
with breast cancer,
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supera o número de doentes con
cancro de mama,
cancro de mama,
01:43
colon cancer, lung cancer
and leukemia, combined.
and leukemia, combined.
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cancro de colon, cancro de pulmón
e leucemia combinados.
e leucemia combinados.
01:49
Hold up.
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Pero, agardade...
01:51
So what is a chronic wound?
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Que é unha ferida crónica?
01:52
(Laughter)
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(Gargalladas)
E por que nunca ouvín falar dunha andaina
de 5 km polas feridas crónicas,
de 5 km polas feridas crónicas,
01:53
And why haven't I heard
about a 5K walk for chronic wounds,
about a 5K walk for chronic wounds,
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01:57
why haven't I even heard
about a chronic wound in general?
about a chronic wound in general?
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por que nin sequera ouvín falar
das feridas crónicas en xeral?
das feridas crónicas en xeral?
02:00
(Laughter)
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(Gargalladas)
02:04
So after I got past
those preliminary questions,
those preliminary questions,
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Así que unha vez superadas
estas dúbidas iniciais,
estas dúbidas iniciais,
02:07
and one that I will clarify for you,
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e unha que vou aclarar enseguida,
02:09
a chronic wound is essentially
when someone gets a normal wound,
when someone gets a normal wound,
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unha ferida crónica, é basicamente
cando alguén ten unha ferida normal,
cando alguén ten unha ferida normal,
02:13
except it fails to heal normally
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que non cura,
02:16
because the patient has some kind
of preexisting condition,
of preexisting condition,
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a miúdo porque o doente
ten algún tipo de problema previo,
ten algún tipo de problema previo,
02:19
which in most cases is diabetes.
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que na maior parte dos casos é a diabetes.
[O problema das feridas crónicas]
02:25
So more staggering statistics
were to be found
were to be found
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Atopeime coas estatísticas
máis desconcertantes
máis desconcertantes
02:28
as I kept going on in this research.
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segundo proseguín coa investigación.
02:31
In the year 2010 alone,
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Só no ano 2010, destináronse
50 mil millóns de dólares USA
50 mil millóns de dólares USA
02:32
50 billion dollars were spent worldwide
to treat chronic wounds.
to treat chronic wounds.
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para o tratamento
das feridas crónicas no mundo.
das feridas crónicas no mundo.
02:39
In addition, it's estimated
that about two percent of the population
that about two percent of the population
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Ademais, estímase
que aproximadamente o 2% da poboación
que aproximadamente o 2% da poboación
02:43
will get a chronic wound
at some point in their lifetime.
at some point in their lifetime.
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terá unha ferida crónica
nalgún intre da súa vida.
nalgún intre da súa vida.
02:46
This was absurd.
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Era ilóxico.
02:49
So as I started doing more research,
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Namentres investigaba,
atopei unha correlación
02:51
I found that there was a correlation
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entre o nivel de humidade
dentro da vendaxe dunha ferida
dentro da vendaxe dunha ferida
02:52
between the moisture level
inside a wound dressing
inside a wound dressing
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02:55
and the stage of healing
that the chronic wound would be at.
that the chronic wound would be at.
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e a etapa de curación en que se atopaba.
03:00
So I decided, why don't I design something
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E pensei, por que non deseño algo
03:02
to measure the moisture level
within the wound
within the wound
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que me permita cuantificar
a humidade na ferida
a humidade na ferida
03:04
so this can help doctors and patients
treat their wounds better.
treat their wounds better.
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e deste modo, axudar a médicos e
doentes a tratar mellor as súas feridas?
doentes a tratar mellor as súas feridas?
03:09
And essentially, expedite
the healing process.
the healing process.
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E así acelerar o proceso de cicatrización.
E iso foi exactamente o que fixen.
03:13
So that's exactly what I set out to do.
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[Atrancos e requisitos]
Como tiña 14 anos e traballaba
no meu garaxe, convertido en laboratorio,
no meu garaxe, convertido en laboratorio,
03:16
Being a 14-year-old working
out of her garage-turned-lab,
out of her garage-turned-lab,
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03:20
I had a lot of constraints.
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atopeime con moreas de atrancos.
03:22
Most being that I wasn't given a grant,
I wasn't given a lot of money,
I wasn't given a lot of money,
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Sobre todo, debido a que non recibín
ningunha bolsa, nin cartos,
ningunha bolsa, nin cartos,
03:26
and I wasn't given a lot of resources.
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nin suficientes recursos.
03:28
In addition, I had
a lot of criteria, as well.
a lot of criteria, as well.
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Ademais, tiña que cumprir
moitos requisitos.
moitos requisitos.
03:32
Since this product would be
readily interacting with the body,
readily interacting with the body,
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Xa que este produto tería que interactuar
directamente co corpo humano,
directamente co corpo humano,
03:36
it had to be biocompatible,
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debía ser biocompatible
03:38
it also had to be low-cost,
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e ter un baixo custo,
03:40
as I was designing it
and paying for it myself.
and paying for it myself.
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porque o deseñaba e financiaba eu mesma.
03:44
It also had to be mass-manufacturable,
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Amais, debería poder producirse en masa,
porque quería que se puidese facer
en calquera lugar e para calquera.
en calquera lugar e para calquera.
03:46
because I wanted it to be made
anywhere, for anyone.
anywhere, for anyone.
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03:51
Thus, I drafted up a schematic.
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Polo tanto, debuxei un esquema.
03:53
What you see on the left hand-side
is the early schematics in my design,
is the early schematics in my design,
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O que ven no lado esquerdo
é un bosquexo do meu deseño,
é un bosquexo do meu deseño,
03:57
showing both a bird's-eye view
and also one stacking variant.
and also one stacking variant.
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mostrando tanto unha vista de paxaro
coma unha vista lateral do conxunto.
coma unha vista lateral do conxunto.
A vista do conxunto mostra
04:03
A stacking variant means
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04:04
that the entire product is consisted
of different individual parts
of different individual parts
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que o produto atópase formado
por varias partes diferentes
por varias partes diferentes
04:09
that have to work in unison.
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que teñen que funcionar como un todo.
04:11
And what's shown there
is one possible arrangement.
is one possible arrangement.
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O que se ve aquí
é unha posible distribución.
é unha posible distribución.
04:18
So what exactly is this?
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Que é isto exactamente?
04:20
So I had gone on to testing my sensors
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Cando comecei a probar os meus sensores
04:22
and as all scientists have
stumbles along their work,
stumbles along their work,
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atopei, como todos os científicos,
atrancos no meu traballo,
atrancos no meu traballo,
04:26
I also had a couple of problems
in my first generation of sensors.
in my first generation of sensors.
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sufrín un par de contratempos
coa miña primeira xeración de sensores.
coa miña primeira xeración de sensores.
04:29
First of all, I couldn't figure out
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Primeiro, non sabía
como incorporar unha nanopartícula
nun cartucho de impresión
nun cartucho de impresión
04:31
how to get a nanoparticle ink
into a printcheck cartridge
into a printcheck cartridge
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04:34
without spilling it all over my carpet.
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sen derramar todo sobre a miña alfombra.
04:36
That was problem number one.
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Ese foi o problema número un.
04:38
Problem number two was,
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O problema número dous foi
04:40
I couldn't exactly control
the sensitivity of my sensors.
the sensitivity of my sensors.
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que non podía controlar
a sensibilidade dos meus sensores.
a sensibilidade dos meus sensores.
04:43
I couldn't scale them up or down,
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Non podía aumentar
nin reducir a súa precisión,
nin reducir a súa precisión,
04:46
I couldn't really do
anything of that sort.
anything of that sort.
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non podía facer ren.
E quería solucionalo.
04:48
So I wanted something to solve it.
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Resolvín o primeiro problema doadamente
04:49
Problem one was easily solved
by some scouting on eBay and Amazon
by some scouting on eBay and Amazon
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cunha pequena expedición en eBay e Amazon
na busca de xiringas que puidese empregar.
04:52
for syringes that I could use.
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04:54
Problem two, however,
required a lot more thought.
required a lot more thought.
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O problema número dous, pola contra,
requiriu máis esforzo mental.
requiriu máis esforzo mental.
04:57
So this is where this factors in.
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Aquí é onde intervén este factor.
05:00
So what a space-filling curve does
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Unha curva de Peano
tenta abarcar a maior área posible
dentro dun cadrado unitario.
dentro dun cadrado unitario.
05:01
is it aims to take up all the area it can
within one unit square.
within one unit square.
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05:06
And by writing a computer program,
you can have different iterations
you can have different iterations
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E, coa axuda dun ordenador,
pódense obter as diferentes variantes
pódense obter as diferentes variantes
das diferentes curvas,
05:10
of the different curve,
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que se achegan cada vez máis
ao cadrado unitario,
ao cadrado unitario,
05:12
which increasingly get close
to one unit square,
to one unit square,
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non obstante, nunca o conseguen de todo.
05:14
but never quite reaches there.
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05:18
So now I could control
the thickness, the size,
the thickness, the size,
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Deste xeito, puiden controlar
o grosor, o tamaño
o grosor, o tamaño
05:20
I could do whatever I want with it,
and I could predict my results.
and I could predict my results.
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e facer o que quixen con el,
inclusive, predicir os meus resultados.
inclusive, predicir os meus resultados.
05:25
So I started constructing my sensors
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Comecei daquela a elaborar
os meus sensores
os meus sensores
05:27
and testing them more rigorously,
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e a probalos máis rigorosamente,
05:30
using money that I had gotten
from previous science fair awards.
from previous science fair awards.
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empregando o diñeiro que gañara
participando en feiras de ciencia.
participando en feiras de ciencia.
05:34
Lastly, I had to connect this data
in order to be read.
in order to be read.
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Por último, tiña que transmitir
estes datos para que puidesen lerse.
estes datos para que puidesen lerse.
05:38
So I interfaced it with a Bluetooth chip,
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Así que os liguei a través
dun chip Bluetooth,
dun chip Bluetooth,
que poden observar á dereita,
nunha captura de pantalla da aplicación.
nunha captura de pantalla da aplicación.
05:40
which you can see here
by the app screenshots on the right.
by the app screenshots on the right.
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05:44
And what this does is that anyone
can monitor the progress of their wound,
can monitor the progress of their wound,
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Deste xeito, calquera pode monitorizar
a evolución da súa ferida,
a evolución da súa ferida,
05:48
and it can be transmitted
over a wireless connection
over a wireless connection
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e enviala a través
dunha conexión sen fíos
dunha conexión sen fíos
05:52
to the doctor, the patient
or whoever needs it.
or whoever needs it.
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ao médico, ao paciente
ou a quen o precise.
ou a quen o precise.
[Revisión e perfeccionamento constante]
05:57
[Continued Testing and Refinement]
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05:59
So in conclusion, my design
was successful --
was successful --
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En conclusión, o meu deseño resultou.
06:02
however, science never ends.
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Non obstante, a ciencia non descansa.
06:06
There's always something to be done,
something to be refined.
something to be refined.
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Sempre hai algo que facer,
algo que require mellora.
algo que require mellora.
06:09
So that's what I'm currently
in the process of doing.
in the process of doing.
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E actualmente, atópome nese proceso.
06:12
However, what I learned was
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Porén, aprendín que
06:14
what's more important
than the actual thing I designed
than the actual thing I designed
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máis importante cá miña propia invención
06:18
is an attitude that I had
taken on while doing this.
taken on while doing this.
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foi a actitude que adoptei
para levala a cabo.
para levala a cabo.
06:22
And that attitude was,
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E esa actitude foi a que,
06:24
even though I'm a 14-year-old
working in her garage
working in her garage
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a pesar de ser unha rapaza
de 14 anos traballando no seu garaxe
de 14 anos traballando no seu garaxe
06:27
on something that she doesn't
completely understand,
completely understand,
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nalgo que non entendía totalmente,
06:31
I could still make a difference
and contribute to the field.
and contribute to the field.
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me permitiu marcar a diferenza
e contribuír neste eido de estudo.
e contribuír neste eido de estudo.
06:35
And that's what inspired me to keep going,
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E iso foi o que me inspirou para continuar
06:38
and I hope it inspires many others
to also do work like this
to also do work like this
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e espero que inspire a moitos outros
para facer algo semellante,
para facer algo semellante,
06:42
even though they're not
very sure about it.
very sure about it.
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aínda que crean que non poden.
Espero que esta sexa a mensaxe
que leven hoxe para casa.
que leven hoxe para casa.
06:45
So I hope that's a message
that you all take on today.
that you all take on today.
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06:48
Thank you.
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Grazas
06:49
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Anushka Naiknaware - ScientistIn 2016, at age 13, Anushka Naiknaware was the youngest winner of the Google Science Fair, with her invention of a clever new bandage that tells caregivers when it needs to be changed.
Why you should listen
When Anushka Naiknaware was young, she would spend hours at the chemistry lab at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland and not leave until she had finished every experiment available. Her early interest was chemistry and mathematics, but she quickly learned that every branch of science is connected, including physics, biology and computer science. In fact, her winning Google Science Fair project loops together materials science, fractal math and biology.
Naiknaware has won many awards in notable science and math competitions. She was the youngest winner of the Google Science Fair in 2016, and she won the first-place Mathematics STEM Award at Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering Rising Stars), a premier competition run by the Society for Science and the Public. Naiknaware is inspired by Marie Curie, whose work contributed to major advances in modern medicine. Anushka admires her spirit and enthusiasm to continue her work in a time when women's contributions in science weren't appreciated.
Anushka Naiknaware | Speaker | TED.com