The Next Popsicle

Ideas can come from anywhere. Unfortunately, when they come from our children we often pay little or no attention to them. Over the generations you have to wonder how many amazing ideas never happened because an adult dismissed an idea because it came from a young person.

The fact of the matter is that young people have great ideas. The following ideas, which have become part of everyday life actually came from young people:

• Trampoline (George Nissen, 16)
• The Popsicle (Frank Epperson, 11)
• Earmuffs (Chester Greenwood, 15)
• Braille (Louise Braille, 14)
• Television (Philo Farnsworth, 14)

In this current generation, young people are doing some amazing things as well and developing ideas which will possibly change the lives of millions:

• Jack Andraka: inexpensive test for pancreatic cancer that will save the lives of millions.
• Boyan Slat: system for cleaning the tons of plastic found in the world’s oceans.
• Kylie Simonds: IV backpack for young chemotherapy patients.
• Elif Bilgin: new kind of plastic that is developed from banana peels.
• Marion Bechtel: anti-mine device that uses a piano based sound wave system to find mines.

Next time your child says “I have an idea,” make sure to listen carefully as you never know, it might be something as brilliant as the popsicle.