the innovators

WHAT IF SPECIALLY ENGINEERED SHOES COULD FEND OFF MOSQUITOES OR A TRACTOR-SHARING APP COULD PUT MONEY IN NIGERIAN FARMERS’ POCKETS? THESE ARE JUST TWO OF THE QUESTIONS INNOVATORS WERE BOLD ENOUGH TO ASK–AND ANSWER–THIS YEAR. THEY TAUGHT A NEW GENERATION OF ROBOTS TO PERFORM MILLIONS OF TASKS. THEY MIXED CARBON DIOXIDE AND SUNSHINE TO MAKE CHEAP, CLEAN FUEL. AND IN JUST 15 HOURS, THEY FASHIONED A DEVICE THAT CAN CONVERT PRINTED WORDS TO BRAILLE. COLLECTIVELY, THESE THINKERS ASKED ONE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION: WHAT DOES THE WORLD NEED NEXT?

Chandani Doshi, Grace Li, Jialin Shi, Bonnie Wang, Charlene Xia, and Tania Yu

STUDENTS

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

For lifting words off the page.

Earlier this year, these six