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Ann Makosinski, Google Science Fair Finalist, Makes Headlines

Look What This Grade 10 Student Did

Ann Makosinski, the Victoria teen grabbing headlines around the world after making the finals of the 2013 Google Science Fair, says the idea behind her invention is simple.

The Grade 10 student told The Globe And Mail that her human-powered flashlight combined ideas from previous projects she has entered into her local science fair over the past five years. That this project has gone so far, has been a big surprise, she said.

"I'm really interested in harvesting surplus energy, energy that surrounds but we never really use," Ann told CBC News.

She realized that the warmth generated by the human body was an overlooked energy source, The Daily Mail said. Once she started looking at Peltier tiles – which generate electricity when heated on one side and cooled on the other – Makosinski was able to come up with her hollow flashlight design.

In September, she will fly to Mountain View, Calif., to present her science project, which is competing with 14 others for the top prize.

The winner will be announced on Sept. 23 and receive a 10-day trip to the Galapagos Islands with National Geographic Expeditions, a $50,000 scholarship, and other prizes.

The finalists were chosen after judges evaluated thousands of projects submitted by students from more than 120 countries.

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Google Doodles
George Ferris and Valentine's Day(01 of44)
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On February 14th, 2013, Google celebrated both Valentine's Day and George Ferris's 154th birthday with this interactive doodle. (credit:Google)
Mary Leakey(02 of44)
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On February 6th, 2013, Google celebrated archeologist Mary Leakey's 100th birthday. (credit:Google)
International Women's Day(03 of44)
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Google celebrated International Women's Day 2013 with this doodle by Betsy Bauer. (credit:Google)
Nicolaus Copernicus(04 of44)
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Google celebrated astronomer Copernicus's 540th birthday on February 19th, 2013. (credit:Google)
SOPA/PIPA Protest(05 of44)
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On January 18, 2012, Google joined Wikipedia, Reddit and thousands of other sites for a content blackout in protest of proposed Congressional legislation calling for strict enforcement of U.S. copyright law online. The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) drew the ire of web users who feared these bills would lead to unchecked web censorship. As a result of the massive protest, key Congressmen who had previously supported the bills reversed their positions; SOPA and PIPA were tabled indefinitely. (credit:Google)
Burning Man(06 of44)
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The first-ever Google doodle was a simple stick figure behind the second "O" in the logo on Aug. 30, 1998. It represented the founders' recent trip to the Burning Man festival. (credit:Google)
Comic-Con(07 of44)
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One of the great and super nerdy Google doodles, this Jul 23, 2009 logo celebrates the annual Comic-Con conference. (credit:Google)
Happy Halloween(08 of44)
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Google wished users "Happy Halloween" Oct. 31 with a new video doodle that shows a team of crafty Googlers carving six enormous pumpkins to spell out the search engine's name. (credit:Google)
Marie Curie(09 of44)
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On November 7, 2011 Google celebrated what would have been the 144th birthday of the mother of radioactivity, two-time Nobel Prize winning scientist Marie Curie. (credit:Google)
Google's 13th Anniversary(10 of44)
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Google celebrated its 13th anniversary on September 27, 2011, with a simple, birthday-themed doodle and a scrapbook-style doodle featuring the company's logo letters dressed in a birthday hats and sitting around presents and a birthday cake. Check out more photos here. (credit:Google)
Mother's Day(11 of44)
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On Mother's Day May 8th, Google tipped its hat to moms everywhere with a spring-themed logo with a purple flower in place of the "L." (credit:Google)
Royal Wedding(12 of44)
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Google celebrated the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton on April 29, 2011 with a Google doodle depicting a festively illustrated panorama of Westminster Abbey, where the royal knot was tied. (credit:Google)
Jackie Robinson(13 of44)
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Google honored baseball legend and civil rights activist Jackie Robinson on his 94th birthday on January 31st, 2013. (credit:Google)
Yuri Gagarin(14 of44)
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On 12 April 1961, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to enter outer space. Google's commemorative logo was dedicated to Gagarin's flight into space. (credit:Google)
White House Science Fair(15 of44)
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US President Barack Obama looks at science fair projects in the East Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 22, 2013. Obama hosted the White House Science Fair and celebrated the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad (credit:(JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images))
White House Science Fair(16 of44)
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US President Barack Obama visits science fair projects in the East Garden of the White House in Washington on April 22, 2013. Obama hosted the White House Science Fair and celebrated the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. (credit:(JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images))
White House Science Fair(17 of44)
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US President Barack Obama visits science fair projects in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington on April 22, 2013. Obama hosted the White House Science Fair and celebrated the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. (credit:(JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images))
White House Science Fair(18 of44)
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US President Barack Obama shakes a robotic hand as he looks at science fair projects in the State Dinning Room of the White House in Washington on April 22, 2013. Obama hosted the White House Science Fair and celebrated the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. (credit:(JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images))
White House Science Fair(19 of44)
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President Barack Obama pedals bicycle-powered emergency water-sanitation station for Payton Karr, 16, left, and Kiona Elliott, 18, center, both from Oakland Park, Fla., to help demonstrate their invention, Monday, April 22, 2103, in the East Garden of the White House in Washington, where the president hosted the White House Science Fair to celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. The bicycle filters E. Coli and other harmful pathogens from contaminated water. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) (credit:AP)
White House Science Fair(20 of44)
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US President Barack Obama visits science fair projects in East Garden of the White House in Washington on April 22, 2013. Obama hosted the White House Science Fair and celebrated the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. (credit:(JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images))
White House Science Fair(21 of44)
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Jack Andraka, 15, from Glen Burnie, Md., stands up after being acknowledge by President Barack Obama during the White House Science Fair, Monday, April 22, 2013, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. Andraka is the 2012 Intel Science Fair grand prize winner for creating early detection pancreatic cancer test that is faster, cheaper and more sensitive than the test before it. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) (credit:AP)
White House Science Fair(22 of44)
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President Barack Obama greets students in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, April 22, 2013, as he hosted the White House Science Fair to celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) (credit:AP)
White House Science Fair(23 of44)
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President Barack Obama talks with Jon Kubricki, 16, center, and Bridget Zarych, 16, left, both from Little Egg Harbor, NJ., as they explain their mini-press that can turn biomass waste products into viable wood-alternative for cooking, Monday, April 22, 2013, during the White House Science Fair in the East Garden of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) (credit:AP)
White House Science Fair(24 of44)
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President Barack Obama listens to Spencer Ottarson, 19, center, and Julie Xu, 17, right, both from Williamston, Mich., as they explain their 'Offshore Rip Current Alert System (ORCA), Monday, April 22, 2013, during the White House Science Fair on the East Garden of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) (credit:AP)
White House Science Fair(25 of44)
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President Barack Obama talks with Darius Hooker, 19, center, and Wesley Carter, 18, both from Memphis Tenn., who took part in Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC), as Obama hosts the White House Science Fair in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, April 22, 2013, to celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) (credit:AP)
White House Science Fair(26 of44)
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President Barack Obama shakes hands with young scientists at the White House Science Fair to celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country, Monday, April 22, 2013, during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (credit:AP)
White House Science Fair(27 of44)
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US President Barack Obama looks at a science fair project in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington on April 22, 2013. Obama hosted the White House Science Fair and celebrated the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad (credit:(JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images))
White House Science Fair(28 of44)
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President Barack Obama reacts as he watches Rush Lyons, 14, left, and Thomas Shields, 13, center, both from Theodore, Alabama, demonstrate their robot 'Vator', which was designed to mimic a space elevator, Monday, April 22, 2013, at the White House Science Fair in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) (credit:AP)
White House Science Fair(29 of44)
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US President Barack Obama visits science fair projects in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington on April 22, 2013. Obama hosted the White House Science Fair and celebrated the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. (credit:(JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images))
White House Science Fair(30 of44)
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US President Barack Obama visits science fair projects in East Garden of the White House in Washington on April 22, 2013. Obama hosted the White House Science Fair and celebrated the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. AFP PHOTO/Jewel Samad (credit:JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images))
White House Science Fair(31 of44)
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US President Barack Obama speaks during the White House science fair on April 23, 2013 in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC. The event honours student winners of science, technology, engineering and math competitions from across the country. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (credit:(MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images))
Bottle Opener Remote(32 of44)
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Sauce Dispensing Chopsticks!(33 of44)
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Self-Locking Bendy Bike(34 of44)
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Gum Packaging...With Built-In Garbage(35 of44)
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Pillow With Arm Hole(36 of44)
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Finger Guard(37 of44)
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NES Harmonicas(38 of44)
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Pizza Scissors(39 of44)
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Unicorn Holders(40 of44)
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Retrovision Glasses(41 of44)
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Car Swivel Chair(42 of44)
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Tea Pot Frame(43 of44)
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Keyboard Food Tray(44 of44)
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